Before the Dawn
by suicide-by-cookie
Summary: AU where Team Plasma has taken over the Unova Region, and Touko leads a rebellion to fight back.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Four-year-old Touko White is lying upside down on the couch, her long brown hair dangling off and touching the floor of her living room. Her eyes wide open, glued to the TV screen, where Polly the Pikachu is dancing animatedly.

"Touko, sweetheart, you know that's not good for you," scolds her mother, sweeping elegantly into the room. "All that blood rushing to your head." Though her mother studies Pokemon evolution and body structure, she is also an expert on the human body.

"But mom," argues Touko, "Polly the Pikachu dances better when I'm upside down!"

Not quite knowing how to respond to this statement, her mother nods skeptically and sits down beside Touko.

As another episode of Polly the Pikachu starts up, Touko begins to sing along to the theme song. That is, until the song is interrupted by a scary man's face, smiling somewhat menacingly through the screen.

"Hello, Unova region," the man says, just as Touko is deciding he's extremely ugly. "My name is Ghetsis."

Surprisingly, Touko's mother gives a small shriek. She yells for Touko's father, who comes racing down the stairs at the mention of this 'Ghetsis'. He plops down on the couch on Touko's other side and watches the broadcast intently.

"I'll keep this short," says Ghetsis, which Touko is grateful for, as she'd much rather be watching Polly the Pikachu than him. "Team Plasma has taken over Unova. As the current King of Team Plasma, I am your ruler now. Bow down to me, Unova region."

His laugh sends chills up Touko's spine. The broadcast ends, but instead of returning to Polly the Pikachu, the TV shuts off completely. Touko sees her parents exchange fearful glances, before all the electricity in the house shuts down.

Suddenly, the windows shatter and the door breaks down, all at the same time. Touko and her mother's screams mix into one, as the electricity all turns back on.

They are surrounded by ridiculous looking people dressed in gray, with ugly hairstyles. On each of their uniforms are the initials TP in an ugly shade of yellow. Touko's parents look scared out of their wits and frozen in place.

"You two are Professor White and …. Professor White, right?" asks one of them, frowning at their identical professional names.

"N-no," lies Touko's father.

"They are," says another one of the strangers invading their house. She holds up a funny-looking gadget. "They match up with the pictures on their files."

"You have files on us?" asks Touko's mother shakily, her face pale white.

"Of course," laughs the same lady with the funny gadget. "Team Plasma does their research carefully, especially with people as interesting as you two." It doesn't sound quite like a compliment to Touko.

Touko's instincts make her automatically dislike these Team Plasma people. Who do they think they are, breaking the windows and scaring her parents? And, most importantly, interrupting an episode of Polly the Pikachu?!

As if the TV could read her mind, it turns on, showing Polly the Pikachu singing a song about the colors in the rainbow. Touko knows all the words to this song too, and so she starts to sing along:

"Red and green and purple and blue and white and pin -"

"SHUT UP!" screams one of the Team Plasma people, switching the TV off. "God, I hate kids and their ridiculous television shows."

"Hey!" Touko pipes up angrily. "I was watching that."

"Not anymore you aren't," the Team Plasma person snaps.

"Don't talk to my daughter like that," threatens Touko's father.

A Team Plasma laughs in his face. "As if you're in a position to make threats, Professor White. You're surrounded by us Grunts."

"Grunts?" giggled Touko. "That sounds stupid."

Quick as lightning, the Team Plasma 'Grunt' standing closest to Touko slaps her in the face, hard enough that it makes a cracking sound and leaves a red mark there. Tears spring to her eyes, but the brave four-year-old tries to hold them back.

"How dare you!" screeches her mother, reaching an arm out toward Touko to comfort her but another Grunt pulls it away, instead using the arm to drag her mother towards the door – or the space the door used to hang, anyway.

"Let's go, Professors," he says cheerfully, as if dragging people unwillingly out of their homes is something he does all the time.

Another two Team Plasma Grunts flank Touko's father on either side, forcing him towards the door as well. Though both her parents struggle with all their might, neither of them are particularly athletic – both of them preferred to get into the sciences rather than athletics at school – and so the Grunts are still able to take them away without breaking a sweat.

After a moment, it becomes clear to Touko that no one is coming to take her away too, so she follows them out onto the front porch indignantly. "Excuse me, you've forgotten me," she announces to a Grunt standing next to her.

The Grunt takes a look at her and grabs Touko's arm. Twisting it painfully, he shoves Touko back into her house. "Stay in there, you little brat!" he hisses. "We don't give a fuck about you, only your parents."

Touko's not quite sure what fuck means, but she gets the gist of the rest of her sentence. Still, she's not going to give up her parents without a fight, and nimbly pops outside again. "MOMMY! DADDY! TAKE ME WITH YOU!" she screams.

Her mother looks back, desperation in her eyes, and flails harder in the Grunt's grasp. "Please!" she sobs. "You can't take me away without my baby! Bring Touko … she's only four! Bring Touko! Please!"

Instead of sympathy, the Grunt gives Touko's mother a slap. "Four is perfectly mature enough to take care of herself," he says in a monotone. "Now get on." He shoves her violently onto a bird Pokemon that looks tired and over-worked.

"MOMMY!" Touko screams again. "DADDY!"

But her father just shoots her a defeated glance, and says simply, "I'm so sorry, Touko. No matter what happens, remember we love you."

Another Grunt pushes him onto the bird Pokemon, right behind Touko's mother, who is still screaming for Touko, despite the slap.

The Grunt who had pushed Touko into the house before laughs and looks at her. "Your parents are pathetic," he says jerkily, and with the strength of her four-year-old rage, Touko kicks him in the spot men should never be kicked.

He screams in agony. "You stupid fucking child!" He curses at her, letting loose a whole other stream of curses Touko never heard before.

"Wash your mouth out with soap," says Touko viciously, stomping on his foot as hard as she can, since she doesn't weigh much.

In retaliation, the Grunt shoves Touko to the ground, and then hops onto his own bird Pokemon to join the rest of Team Plasma in the air. Touko stands up quickly, still screaming for her parents, her hope diminishing the farther and faster they fly away.

Finally, as they are lost forever in the sky, little Touko White is left alone on her front porch, sobbing her heart out without the strength to say anything louder than "Mommy, Daddy," in a solemn whisper.

In his large, luxurious office in Team Plasma's gigantic castle, Ghetsis lounges around in one of the spinning chairs, awaiting his Grunts. He would never tell anyone how much he enjoyed spinning in these addictive chairs, for it would seem childish and be misunderstood to the other Sages of Team Plasma.

But alone in his office, he is free to do whatever he wishes.

Of course, his Grunts choose this time to march in, bringing with them the two famous professors of Unova, the married couple Professors White and White. Ghetsis brings his spinning chair to an abrupt stop, and stands up menacingly, as if daring any of the Grunts to ask him what he was just doing.

"Um, boss?" says one of the Grunts timidly. "What were you just doing?"

"GET OUT OF HERE!" roars Ghetsis. "HOW DARE YOU ASK ME SUCH INTRUSTIVE, PERSONAL QUESTIONS!"

The Grunt drops everything and runs, giving Ghetsis the familiar rush of pleasure he always gets when he feels powerful. There is almost nothing really that Ghetsis cares about, but power is one of the very few.

The remaining Plasma Grunts kneel down before him, murmuring "To the good health and everlasting fortune of our king, Ghetsis."

"Rise," says Ghetsis in a bored tone, hiding his excitement. Finally – finally – he is the ruler of Unova, and here are the two most renowned Professors, at his control.

One Grunt shoves them to the floor in front of Ghetsis. "We have accomplished our mission, my King," he says quickly. "Here are Professor White and Professor White."

"That's annoying," says Ghetsis, referring to their identical names. "What are your first names?" he points to the male professor.

"I-I'm Kairi and t-that is my wife, Natsumi," he stutters. Ghetsis smiles icily. Only the truly weak ones stutter. He will crack easily.

"And that is what we shall call you from now on," Ghetsis announces. It's perfect – degrading to these Professors at the loss of their title, and much easier to establish one from the other now.

All the Plasma Grunts nod in agreement.

"What do you want from us?" The female, Natsumi, asks boldly. "My daughter is waiting for us at home all alone. Make it quick."

"Quick?" echoes Ghetsis. "Oh no, no, no. You won't be leaving here."

"Excuse me?" Natsumi says with what seems like attitude, but he can hear the tremor in her voice. She's interesting, he thinks with a sly smile, and young - perhaps a prostitution system for 'traitors' who go against Team Plasma, and we can start with her...

"At the moment, it seems I have a need for you two," says Ghetsis slowly, as if speaking to a bunch of imbeciles (which, incidentally, the Grunts were, but not these professors), "and so you will fulfill that need."

"And once that is done, you should let us go!" argues Natsumi.

Ghetsis laughs. She is spirited, he has to give her that. "But your research, your willingness to unite people with Pokemon and to study them like lab rats goes against everything that Team Plasma stands for. And traitors must be dealt with, must be made an example to the public as to what will happen if you defy your leaders. You and your husband will be sentenced to jail for life."

He saw her eyes widen in fear, but other than that, she hid it well. "Then why should we ever help you?" she spat at him. "I would rather die!"

"Natsumi," says her husband weakly.

Both Ghetsis and his wife ignore him. "Oh, you will help me. I have my ways of making people do what I want them to. And as the ruler of Unova, I have plenty of time to wait for you to break."

Ghetsis watches with an evil smile as the two Professors expressions change as they imagine what he will do to them.

"You heartless, evil man," whispers Natsumi.

"I have been called worse," replies Ghetsis dismissively. "Now Grunts, take them to the dungeons. I will deal with them later."

Yes, he has been deprived from his spinning chair for much too long. As soon as they all leave, he will return to its softness and spinning wheels, its endless entertainment. He deserves it, after all. It takes quite a lot of effort to be so evil, to ruin so many lives.

He sinks back into the comfortable, cushioned chair and smiles to himself, a real smile, the first one in years and years of hard, dirty work. Ghetsis, he thinks to himself, Unova is yours.


	2. Chapter 1

Hi, I'm Touko. I'm seventeen now, and I live with my best friend Touya. It's been thirteen years since Team Plasma took over, and I hate them. I guess I shouldn't really have an opinion– since I was only four when it happened– but I've disliked them ever since they hauled off my parents. Now, I'm stuck working all the odd jobs no one wants to do. Right now, I'm farming crops.

I pull on my white shirt and my Team Plasma overalls. Everything we wear has to have the Team Plasma logo on it, to identify us as citizens of Unova. I toss on my combat boots, my baseball cap, and head for the door. I grab my shovel, watering can and head outside. I am digging in the dusty brown soil, when two Team Plasma grunts walk up to me.

"Are you Touko White?" They ask

"Yeah. What do you want now?" I reply.

I know the drill by now. They need someone to work a job no one else wants to do, and I get stuck doing it.

"We need you to come clear out a room in a factory." They respond.

Knew it.

"Okay. I'm coming." I respond lethargically.

They drive me to the factory, and it's in awful shape.

"Umm... is that thing stable?" I ask.

"We don't really know." They respond.

"What?" I squeak. "You want me to go clean out that?"

"Well, the faster you start, the faster you finish. No one else volunteered," is the answer I receive.

"Wonder why." I mumble under my breath.

I start to clean out the boxes they've slated for removal, and I notice how wet and moldy the place is. Suddenly, the latest box I grabbed bursts open in my hands.

"Oh crap!" I cry, tossing aside the rotten box, and looking at what I slipped on.

Pokeballs. To obtain one of them is highly illegal. It gets you a year in prison. Having a Pokemon lands you two. I pick up the Pokeball. If I had been my submissive friends Cheren and Bianca, I would have tossed away the Pokeball, and called for help. If I had been Touya, I would have tossed it away too, but being me, I did the rash, impulsive, and illegal thing. I grab the Pokeball, look around, and stuff the Pokeball in my bag. I then grab another handful, and hide those too. I then call for help.

"Hey guys. I dropped a box, and spilled some evil Pokeballs everywhere. Could I have help cleaning up this malignant mess?" I call loudly.

"Oh, sure." The grunts call.

We sweep all the Pokeballs into an unbroken crate, and toss them into the truck. I grab the last two boxes, and we ride to the dump. We–and by "we", I mean I–unload the crates.

"I live a block away from here," I tell the grunts motioning me into the truck."I can walk home," I sweetly tell them.

"Okay," is their response.

I wave to them, and as soon as they leave, I grab a rusty bar out of the junk, and beat in the top of a crate from the factory. Great, Ultra, and even a Master ball spill out. I grab the Master ball, and several Great and Ultra balls, and tuck them into my combat boots. I dash home to find Touya waiting for me with Cheren and Bianca.

"Touko! You're back!" Bianca cries.

"I thought those grunts snatched you," Touya said worriedly.

"Nah, they just wanted me to work another odd job," I reply. "Say, have you guys I dunno... ever thought about rebelling?" I nonchalantly ask.

"Against Team Plasma?" Bianca whispers quietly.

"Yeah." I say.

"Oh, hell no! I don't want to wind up in prison!" Bianca hisses.

"And you guys?" I ask Cheren and Touya.

"I don't think that would be logical," Cheren replies in his nerdy way, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"I dunno," Touya eloquently adds his commentary. "Why?"

"Oh, just wondering," I say, and laugh it off, the Pokeballs I stole feeling heavier and heavier. "I gotta run now. See y'all soon." I say before dashing into the house.

I hide my Pokeballs under the bed, and take one in my pocket. I go outside to the forest behind my house, and I check to make sure I'm not followed. I run through some grass, looking over my shoulder every few seconds. Eventually, I find a Snivy hiding in the grass. I pull out my Pokeball and Snivy nearly goes out of his mind with excitement.

"Snivy! Snivy!"

"Calm down, little guy." I pick him up and tell him. "You want in?" I ask.

Snivy practically claws his way out of my arms and into the Pokeball. I do a victory dance, when I hear a cold voice behind me.

"Hand over that Pokemon, and maybe I'll go easy on you, and only give you a year for having a Pokeball," a Grunt says.

I wheel around to face him and tell him, "You guys think you're so great, and that you're the only ones who can have Pokemon? Well, you can kiss my ass!"

I send out my Snivy, while he sends out a Patrat. Snivy and I easily defeat him, and the man calls out, "Team Plasma will hear about this!"

Crap. I return home, now a wanted fugitive.


	3. Chapter 2

"Hey," says Touya as I walk in through the front door. I shove my newly-caught Snivy's Pokeball farther down into my purse and act innocent, not like I'd just become a wanted criminal.

"Hey," I say in my 'innocent' voice.

Our conversation pretty much ends there because I run up to my room right away. I pull the Pokeball out from my purse and hide it in my box of treasures. No one is allowed to go in there but me – even Touya knows to stay away from it, no matter how mad he is at me.

As soon as that's done and the box has been hidden away again, I brush my hair and wash my face before I go back downstairs (that factory was disgusting, I don't want Touya seeing me looking like a mess).

"So guess what's on?" says Touya, patting the spot next to him on the couch. I oblige and sit down. "Polly the Pikachu."

"Shut up," I grumble, playfully pulling his red cap over his eyes. "I was four. Get over it." This is the only part of that awful day when Team Plasma took over and stole my parents. Touya and his mom found me on the porch, still waiting for my parents to show up, but for some reason all I could say to explain my sobs was that some awful lady shut off Polly the Pikachu.

Incidentally, Polly the Pikachu was cancelled a few days after Team Plasma took over. My four-year-old self was heartbroken, but that might also have been because four-year-old Touya thought making me play with his toy cars would make me feel better.

Touya fixes the cap so he can see again, and I end up shutting off the TV.

"Hey!" says Touya indignantly. "I was watching that."

"Yeah, well, I need to talk to you," I tell him. "And it's actually kind of important."

"I swear, I didn't forget to buy pecha berries," cries Touya.

"Excuse me?" I narrow my eyes at him. Whenever Touya swears about something it usually means he didn't do it. And all I EVER ask for when he goes grocery shopping is for a couple of packs of pecha berries. I mean, seriously, is that really so much to ask for?

"I bought pecha berries when I went out to get groceries today," says Touya nervously.

"Oh, really?" I reply. "Is this like the time you swore you didn't lose my lucky scarf?" That had been just last winter, and I'd never seen the scarf again.

"No," snaps Touya, the look on his face practically screaming yes.

"Can I have some pecha berries then?" I ask sweetly. "Because cleaning up a factory makes a girl really hungry."

"W-why not have some Leppa berries instead?" stammers Touya. "You know, save the really good stuff for dinner?"

"No, Touya, I don't want to share my precious pecha berries with Bianca or Cheren," I whine. "Let's have them right now."

Touya opens his mouth to admit that he didn't actually buy any pecha berries when the doorbell rings. He runs for the door as if his life depends on it. "Bianca! Cheren! Hi!" Touya practically yells in their faces. "Why don't you two hang out with Touko while I just go out to the store … really quickly ..."

Before Cheren, Bianca, or I say anything, Touya is gone.

"Touya's fast," Bianca says appreciatively. "He should try out for a track team or something."

"Yeah, yeah, it's only when he's running for a pack of berries to save his life," I say dismissively and Bianca looks utterly confused. Cheren, however, catches on.

"He forgot your pecha berries again?" Cheren asks, looking amused. "Will the boy ever learn?"

"I know!" I throw my hands up in the air in exasperation. "Touya's ridiculous."

Of course, no matter how stupid Touya is, I'd always be grateful to him and his parents for what they did for me – taking me in and treating me like their own daughter (or in Touya's case, sister) after Team Plasma took my parents.

"So," says Bianca, waving her hand around in my face to snap me back to reality, "do you know what's for dinner?"

"Food," I say vaguely.

"Thanks, Touko," Cheren says sarcastically. "Real helpful."

"Fine," I sigh. "I'll check." In the kitchen, we have … pasta. Also salad. But mostly pasta.

"PASTA!" I yell.

"Oh," Bianca sounds a little disappointed. "Okay."

"Why can't we have something Asian?" demands Cheren. "Like rice or sushi or something?"

"Go ahead, then, Cheren. Make us some sushi," I retort, flopping back down on the couch. "We have plenty of time to kill before Touya gets back."

Cheren glares at me. "No, let's just wait," he says. "What's on TV?"

"Not Polly the Pikachu," I tell him.

"Well, yes, I know, they cancelled that years ago," Cheren replies in the voice he saves for giving people – usually me, Bianca and Touya, the only people who will listen – lectures.

Thankfully, that's when Touya gets back, because the last thing I want is to hear a lecture about how right Team Plasma was for getting rid of Polly the Pikachu. Sometimes it feels like I'm the only one in the world who wasn't been brainwashed by Team Plasma.

. . .

"Pass the salad," says Touya. I ignore him. He nudges me. "Pass the salad," he repeats, somewhat louder.

"Say 'please'," I reprimand him, rolling my eyes. Instead, Touya reaches over my plate of food and grabs the salad, spilling half of it on top of my pasta.

"Oh ew!" I groan, whacking Touya on the arm.

"What's wrong with salad?" asks Bianca, who doesn't seem to have anything but salad on her plate.

"It's gross," I say decisively, and Cheren shakes his head at me.

"Actually," he claims, pushing his glasses farther up his nose, "salad is very good for you. It's anti-calorie and, because it's green, good for fighting off cancer. Iceberg lettuce is especially -"

"Hey," Touya interrupts, "I like pie."

"Me, too," I chime in and Bianca nods her head in agreement.

"What?" Cheren finally says something unintelligent. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Touya shrugs. "Freedom of speech, bro."

Cheren sighs dramatically, and takes a huge bite of the wonderful anti-calorie, good for fighting cancer salad.

"So do you guys remember what I was talking about this morning?" I ask, pretending that the subject is no big deal and just light dinner conversation. I absentmindedly twirl a lock of brown hair around my finger.  
"Touko, you talk a lot," says Touya. I whack him on the arm again. "Exactly what were you talking about this morning?"

"Rebelling against Team Plasma," I say it as easily as I would say 'Cheren, your hair color is just all wrong', which I do say all the time.

Bianca knocks over her glass of water. "Touko White, you drop that subject right now!" she exclaims.

"Seriously, Touko, you shouldn't joke about things like that," adds Cheren. "That kind of stuff could get you thrown into prison."

"What if I'm not joking, Cheren?" I reply seriously.

He gulps. "It's really not a good idea, Touko," he repeats.

"Touya?" I ask, when I realize that he hasn't said anything on the topic yet.

Touya doesn't say anything for a long time. "Touko … I understand why you want to rebel," my closest friend says finally. "Team Plasma has affected you and your life much more than it has me, Cheren or Bianca. But I agree that it's not a good idea. And it definitely isn't safe for a bunch of seventeen year olds to be fighting the system."

Thousands of words and arguments flood into my mind, but I fight them back. This is obviously a lost cause. "I … okay ..."

Bianca gives me a tentative smile. "It's really for the best that we all just stay good, law-abiding citizens of the Plasma region."

"Unova," I correct her automatically.

"It's really not Unova anymore," Bianca argues, but Cheren puts his hand on her arm as a signal for her to stop talking.

"Let her have this, Bells," Cheren tells her. "It's not like this place has officially been renamed the Plasma region."

"Alright," Bianca sighs, still looking at me but acting like she's talking to Cheren. "I just think it'd be so much better to get these ideas out of Touko's head for good."

I want to yell at her that Team Plasma can control how I live my life right now, but they'll never be able to control my thoughts. But instead I just take a last sip of water and excuse myself from the dinner table.

"Wait, Touko," says Touya quickly. "We have pecha berries for dessert. Don't you want some?"

It makes me smile – a real one – to think that Touya cares so much that he doesn't want me to miss my favorite (healthy) dessert. "Um, I don't really want to be in the kitchen anymore," I say in a pathetic attempt to explain.

"I'll bring some up to your room later," Touya says with a look of understanding. I'm pretty sure there has never been a time that I've loved Touya more than right now.

"Feel better, Touko," Bianca says in such an earnest voice that I realize she actually thinks that I feel sick.

I give them all a slight wave and head up to my room.

I pull out my biggest purse and first stuff my sleeping bag into the very bottom. Then I pack in it clothes, clothes and more clothes, with space for my box of treasures. With a second thought, I add in my hairbrush and an industrial sized can of pepper spray just to be safe.

All packed and ready to go.

My room is on the second floor of Touya's house, with the window facing out at the backyard. I'm pretty sure that I can land safely – Touya and I have actually jumped out of this window plenty of times before – but I don't know how quietly.

I open the window and feel a nice, cool breeze that blows my hair off my face. Just as I step onto the window ledge, my door opens. I freeze and drop my purse, but I'm not quick enough – Touya sees everything.

For some reason, I'm not quite as bothered as I would have been if it were Cheren or Bianca. Touya just understands me so much better than they do. It's like we have a bond that's … maybe … a little more than just friends.

"Touko?" his voice is kind of hollow. "Are you … running away?"

I see a bowl of just washed pecha berries in his hand and my heart breaks right down the middle. "Touya, listen, I can explain it all to you."

"Is it because we don't want to rebel against Team Plasma the way you do?" Touya asks, and I realize he's not mad really, but kind of sad.

"No!" I cry. "Well … maybe. It's sort of complicated."

He raises an eyebrow. "Okay, so explain then. You already offered to."

I sigh. "It's sort of a long story, and I don't know how long I have. They could already be looking for me."

"What do you mean? Who's looking for you?" Now Touya sounds worried, which makes me feel even worse. The last thing I want is for Touya to worry about me.

"Um … the Team Plasma people. I may have done something – something really itsy-bitsy, teeny-tiny, molecule-small – that made them kind of pissed at me. And then I kind of ran away from them … heh."

"Touko," he says in the voice that tells me he knows I'm not telling him everything.

"Touya," I say back. "I really have to go, though. I can't get caught and sent to prison. I'm only seventeen, after all."

He says nothing for a minute. "Okay," Touya says, and then grabs my hand, something I wasn't expecting. Sure, we've been friends, but never really physical or intimate. Touya looks me right in the eye. "Be careful, okay? Stay safe. I -"

I hold my breath. He's not going to say I love you, is he? Wait – do I want him to? Since when do I have a thing for Touya?

"I worry about you, okay?" he says finally, and I exhale in disappointment. "Ever since what happened to your parents, I've always been really worried about you. So just be careful while you're … on the run."

"Oh, Touya, you don't have to worry about me," I tell him. "Seriously, Touya, I can take care of myself. I'll be fine."

He squeezes my hand and looks me in the eye again, and I'm suddenly aware of how chocolate brown his eyes are. "I know, Touko. But I still worry."

I resist the urge to kiss him on the cheek. "I'll be okay, Touya, I promise." And with that, I climb out the window and leave behind everything I've ever known in my life up 'til now.


	4. Chapter 3

It was ridiculous how easy it is to get from one city to another. There is a simple one-way path that leads through the various routes, and then through the cities, and then straight to the next city. It's so easy to get around, I'm, surprised that I'd never thought of leaving Nuvema Town before.

I'm glad that my Snivy is in a Pokeball in my box of treasures, which is hidden in my purse. Most of my hair is hidden under a cap Touya had given me for a birthday a few years ago, so I was hoping that if any Plasma Grunts saw me, they'd think my hair was too short to be Touko White, the wanted criminal.

In a way, it's kinda fun being a fugitive. I've even been in the game corner, gambling away my savings for a while until I realize that I'm getting addicted and have lost way more than I've won. Until I hit the jackpot at the roulette table, and then I take my winnings and get the hell out of there.

Not wanting to risk staying at a hotel or anything, I take to napping in the forest. I also watch the local TV broadcasts straight from the Team Plasma Castle to see if they are saying anything about me. So far, so good.

I am training my Snivy up at night, when nobody pays much attention to any strange noises, especially because Team Plasma works all the people of Unova so hard that they sleep like the dead when they got the chance to sleep. I'm pretty proud of Snivy by now, he's gotten so strong and almost unbeatable. Plus now we have a bond and know each other's fighting style so well we could practically read each other's mind to know what move to use next.

I couldn't have caught a better Pokemon if I'd known what I was doing when I caught one.

Eventually though, when I reach Lacunosa Town, I start seeing my face all over the Team Plasma television screens they have in every town, so I start really living like a fugitive – as in, bathing in rivers, sleeping in trees and living life in forests.

At first it's crazy fun, but when I imagine what my hair must look like, I begin to hate the life of a fugitive.

The best part is training my Snivy. It gives me an adrenaline rush to see him battling, and the idea of getting caught really excites me (yeah, I know that's kind of messed up). I mean, it's really fun to battle wild Pokemon, but both me and Snivy need a harder challenge, like battling a real person (read: Team Plasma Grunt, since no one else had Pokemon in the Unova region) who'd actually leveled up their Pokemon.

A couple of days later, Snivy and I are battling a Patrat, which Snivy is easily taking down. I don't even have to say anything, he knows exactly what to do in order to win. In a way, Snivy is a lot like me – if Touya were here, he'd say, "Yeah, you both look green" and I'd hit him, which made me miss Touya a lot more – in that whenever we did something, we both played to win. It makes us an excellent team.

As the Patrat faints, I cheer to keep Snivy's self-esteem up, even though I'm pretty sure both of us knew there was nothing in the Lostlorn Forest that can beat him. Admittedly though, it is a pretty sucky cheer, just the basic "Yay!" but it's not like I'd ever had a dream of becoming a cheerleader.

Okay, maybe I had. But so what? It's not like I still want to be.

Fine. Maybe just a little, deep down inside, I'd like to be a cheerleader. But my cheering sucks. I admitted it, okay? Now shut up and quit laughing at me.

My pitiful cheering is interrupted though, when Snivy starts to glow. I am distracted by how adorable Snivy looks glowing like that, until my voice of reason screams in my head, "Touko! Glowing is abnormal! Make it stop! Go, go, go!"

"SNIVY!" I scream, even though that probably wouldn't help at all. My hypothesis was right – it did absolutely nothing.

I don't know how to make anything stop glowing. I'm not even sure why the fuck Snivy is glowing in the first place. All I know is that I am scared out of my mind.

It suddenly occurs to me that maybe the whole experience of glowing could be painful, so I scoop Snivy into my arms and hug him to my chest in an attempt to comfort him. He squeals in delight and snuggles closer to me, so it sort of looks like my chest is glowing too.

Awkward …

It gets even freakier when Snivy kind of fades into a green light. I scream and almost drop him to the floor, but my instincts tell me to hold on. His shape is flickering, from the one I recognize as Snivy to something else completely.

Okay, what the fuck is going on? I look up at the sky, trying to channel my possibly-dead mother's Pokemon intelligence. What is happening to Snivy? A little help here would be nice here, mom, considering you got yourself kidnapped and left me alone at age FOUR.

When I looked down, Snivy had gotten back an actual shape and form, and even stopped glowing. Except – the thing in my arms was not a Snivy.

"SERVINE!" it cries out and the whole thing finally makes sense to me.

"Sniv – Servine! You evolved!" I cry ecstatically, holding him out with my arms and spinning him around, giggling.

After the dizziness subsided, I realize how strong I had trained Snivy to be, so strong that he'd evolved after only a few days of us together. Fuck yes! I think proudly. I am THE ultimate Pokemon Trainer!

Then I realized that no one else had been around to see the awesomest thing I'd probably ever done in my entire life of seventeen years so far. I returned Servine to his Pokeball so he wouldn't be offended by what I was about to say.

"This SUCKS!" I scream, just to get the frustration out, and listened to my voice echo through the forest. It sounded kind of cool.

Wait – if I could hear my voice echoing throughout the forest, than other people could too. Like Team Plasma Grunts out to get wanted fugitives, such as me. Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap.

As if my someone was listening to my thoughts and making them come true – and if they were, thanks a lot for picking the BAD thoughts and not the one where I was starving and could have totally used some pecha berries – someone grabbed my arms, jerking me off the floor.

"OW!" I yell indignantly.

They say nothing, just start dragging me into the bushes. I struggle, but they're pretty strong and I can't escape. I have to say I'm impressed, Plasma Grunts always look like such weaklings. Maybe they've got a gym in the Team Plasma Castle?

Hey! Says my voice of reason cheerfully. Don't you remember? You packed pepper spray in case of this kind of thing!

That's true, I realize. What would I do without my slightly annoying voice of reason? As secretly as I can, I reach for the pepper spray in my purse, like any sensible fugitive.


	5. Chapter 4

I am wrenched around, my pepper spray pulled out of my hand. Suddenly I am facing a face I've seen numerous times on my television screen and on all the wanted posters in Unova.

"Skyla?" I shriek.

"Shut up! If you turn me into Team Plasma I will bash your brains out." She hisses into my ear.

"Well, that would be a little hard, seeing as I'd get arrested too." I say, explaining my situation in a nutshell to someone else.

"Wait, you're wanted too?" Skyla asks, "Who are you?"

"Touko White," I tell her, "but you probably don't know me, because I don't expect you to get fabulous communication around here. I'm the newest internationally wanted criminal." I say batting my eyes.

"What'd you do?" Skyla asks, pulling me through some trees.

"Well, I illegally obtained many Pokeballs, but the grunt only saw one, caught a Pokemon, and then battled a grunt and won." I tell her.

"Can I see your Pokemon?" Skyla bubbles.

"Sure, but where are you taking me?" I inquire.

"To my place." Skyla says as she pulls me into the middle of a clearing in the Lostlorn Forest. "Welcome home."

Home is a nondescript moss green tent with several discolored yellow patches on it, in the middle of a serene clearing. The color of the tent has long since faded and the patches aren't as vibrant as they used to be. The grass here is tall and wavy and the tree foliage lush green. I hear Pidoves chirping in the trees and the air smells clean. There is a blue babbling brook that flows through the clearing, the bottom visible through its crystalline waters. I see Basculine winding through the translucent water, their tails leaving ripples across the water's mirror like surface that fade into nothing. I can smell the forest, taste the naturalness, the clean, and fell the Pokemon radiating, the intensity permeating every corner of my soul. I can almost forget about everything in this clearing. _Almost._ Skyla must be thinking the same thing as me because I see her shut her eyes and inhale deeply. I can see why the grunts haven't found her yet. She's good at hiding. I walk into her tent and am immediately appalled at the living conditions.

"How have you been surviving? You have no supplies," I cry, despondent to see that she has been living like a Pokemon for Arceus knows how long.

"Well, it's not like I can just go to a town and buy the things I need. I'm wanted all over the region, and can't get past borders. Anyway, lets let bygones be bygones. Can I see your Pokemon _now_?" Skyla begs.

"Okay." I reply, letting Snivy out of his ball. "We're gonna do some training and keep watch." I tell Skyla.

"Okay." She replies unhappily, nostalgic for the days she had a Pokemon to train with.

I grab one more Pokeball out of my satchel and think, "Skyla won't be sad anymore. Not if I can help it."

I am running through the tall grass looking for just the right Pokemon. I finally stumble across a Woobat and let out my newly evolved Servine. Servine wants to cuddle, but I point him to the task at hand.

"Go Servine!" I call.

Servine reduces the Woobat's HP to almost nothing. I throw my Pokeball, ensnaring the Pokemon in it. Woobat is sucked, objectless, into my Pokeball, and caught.

"Yes!" I cry. I heal Woobat with an herbal mix I made and return to the tent.

"Skyla," I call, "I'm back from training and I have something for you."

"Ooh what is it?" She calls, coming over.

"Well, I have some herbs and berries for dinner," I begin.

"Yummy, thanks!" Skyla calls, cutting me off mid-sentence.

"You didn't let me finish." I call after her, and she returns. "I also have a friend for you. Skyla, meet Woobat. You are a flying type expert, right?"

I let Woobat out and place the Pokeball into Skyla's open hand.

"You got me a Pokemon?" Skyla screeches.

"Yeah." I respond, unsure of her initial reaction.

"Oh My Arceus! Thank you Touko! You are amazing!" Skyla calls while running out, "Gotta go train with Woobat now! See you soon. I'll keep watch. Bye!"

"Okay, I'll make dinner then." I call.

As I look at the supplies, I don't even know how to make anything. We don't have pots, or pans, and we don't have spoons. I go out hunting for supplies and I spot Skyla and her Woobat training in the grass. I kneel down by the water edge and I find some rocks. I find one that is large, misshapen and hollow. This'll do for a pot. I find two small, round, shallow, shells that I deem spoons. I find a flat rock, then a random shaped one that could be a motor and pestle. I search through the shell bed once more, and find a broken shell. I scrape it on a rock, and have a knife. Perfect. Now to see about bowls. Looking, I see some more shells downstream, and I run over. I find a large oyster, and I pull it out of the water. It tries to tunnel back in, but I hold it out, grab my shell knife, and try to cut it the way I've seen Touya's mom do. It must work, because the oyster falls open, and dies. I scoop the good sized amount of meat into my pot, a useful thing I'm glad I found, and grab the shell. I trudge back to the campsite, lay out my supplies, and break the oyster shell in two. Perfect. Bowls. I fill my pot with the new supplies, clean them, and then set to work cooking, making a very small fire. It is almost sundown when I've finished, and Skyla comes back with a happy Woobat.

"Phew. I'm starved. Whats for dinner? The usual roots and berries?" She asks.

"Nope, we have a treat," I tell her, laying out the bowls and spoons by the fire. "Oyster stew with energy root, powdered revival herb, and a side of leppa berry."

I take the big rock pot, and tip the stew into Skyla's bowl, and then my own. I hand her a clean spoon shell.

"Dig in." I tell her.

"This smells sooo much better than the usual roots and berries." She says, before attacking the stew ravenously.

I pour her seconds, there's still a lot left in the pot, and then finish mine. I pour myself a second helping, and I share it with Servine, who laps it up happily. I watch Skyla do the same and then feed Woobat a leppa berry. Servine nudges me, I pet him, and feed him a berry too.

"I think I saw some crayfish down by the river bed. We should have them tomorrow, if that's the case." I say.

"Really? Touko, I love you." Skyla says seriously.

We both decide to turn in for the night. We head into the faded tent, which is actually surprisingly roomy for something that seemed so small. I lay out my sleeping bag next to Skyla's. As I am lying down, a thought pops into my head.

"Skyla?" I ask timidly.

"Yeah, Touko?"

"Did we start a rebellion?"


	6. Chapter 5

"So, now that we've decided that we're a rebellion, I think we need to decide our first order of business." I tell Skyla, who is wolfing down left overs of last nights stew.

"Mhmm." She agrees through a mouthful.

"And I think we need to move camp." I tell her.

She does a spit take.

"What? This camp's been my home for five years." she cries.

"And that increases the possibilities of being traced back to it." I state matter-of-factly.

"Okay. Good point. I'll pack the tent once we're done with breakfast," she tells me.

"Wait." I say, "How many gym leaders are still on the run? I seriously doubt the legitimacy of our news broadcasts at home. They were all over the place." I inquire.

"Well, I don't really know. Lets make a list." she answers.

We walk down to the river bed, and Skyla writes a list in the sand by the undulating water threatening to wash away her progress. As she writes and crosses off names, or marks the ones she's unsure about, I gather herbs, crayfish, and berries for our long trip. I pack up the bowls, utensils, and pot with our Pokeballs. I walk over to see Skyla's progress. I notice a tear fall onto the sand as she crosses off the name Caitlin.

"Skyla, who was Caitlin?" I ask.

"Caitlin was a good friend who sacrificed herself to save us," Skyla starts, before launching into her story, "Caitlin, Shantaul, and I were hiking up a mountain in this forest, when suddenly three grunts burst out and surrounded us. We were so scared until Caitlin, who was only thirteen, stepped forward and yelled, 'Guys run. I'll hold them off. Run!' as the guards grabbed the Pokeball out of her hand, broke it on the floor and slapped handcuffs on her wrists. 'Run!' was the last thing I heard her yell as two grunts hauled her away. Shauntal and I split up, and the grunt chased Shantaul. I doubled back here. I don't know what happened to Shauntal. I hope she got away." Skyla says.

"Well, I think Caitlin and Shauntal would want you to keep moving. Let's go." I say gently.

Skyla and I fold up the tent, unaware about the increase out party was about to receive.

**Touya's P.O.V.**

When Touko said she did something small to piss off Team Plasma, I went to sleep thinking about her, but when I woke up, I didn't expect to see her wanted on every news broadcast in Unova!

"What happened?" I cry, to which the TV responds by playing a video of Touko catching a Snivy, and telling a grunt to 'Kiss her ass.' Yep. That's the Touko I know. I have to go after her. I hastily scribble a note saying,

"Mom, Dad, I'm leaving home to go find a criminal. Love you. Touya."

I pack some clothes and other necessities before dashing out of the house to find my best friend. Little did I know that I would find some of my own criminal associates first.

I am watching the electric news board in Undella Town, scanning it hoefully for news of Touko's wherabouts, but all that comes up is her picture and that clip of her battling a grunt. Then a warning sounds about how unstable and unpredictable she is, and how anyone with information about her should contact a grunt immediately. Yeah, like I'm gonna do that. I watch the entire news bulliten four times through, and the only information I've managed to glean is about a former Gym Leader named Skyla who was possibly sighted in the Lostlorn Forest, and about a redhead, Chili, who was seen in the White Forest some time ago. I'm just about to leave and decide I'll start my search in the White Forest when the grunt incharge of this information booth decides I've been viewing the news screen for an abnormally long amount of time. He ambles over to interrogate me, and asks,

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Oh, um," I improvise on the spot, "I was just, umm, looking to see if I could help bring any of the wanted criminals to have been some reported sightings around my house, and I just wanted to keep Unova safe."

The grunt sighs. "Kid, look," he tells me, "that's very admirable, but you should save the fighting and law enforcement to us. Just let us know if you see anything. That's the best help you can give us."

"Will do." I answer before dashing out into the White Forest.

I walk through the densly packed trees of the White Forest, when I pass a big moss covered rock. Isn't that the third time I passed this rock in an hour? Accepting the fact that I have indeed been walking in circles, I head over to the rock and plop down on it, trying to regain my bearings. I could see why someone would hide out here. Everything is so thick and similar that it's impossible to tell where you are. Infact, I'm about to decide I'm on the wrong path entirely when I hear a noise that sounds like a hushed laugh. I know it's not much to go on, but I'm desperate and my instincts are telling me to head in the direction of this noise. I tiptoe in the direction I think the sound came from when I hear rustling. I pop into a small clearing lined with Pecha berry bushes, but otherwise, it's empty. I wlak over to a bush and pluck a Pecha berry from its branch. I pop it into my mouth, and chew it slowly. The flavor isn't that good, but it reminds me of Touko. We had so many heated debates over whether Pecha berries were the best, and now she's gone. I would admit a hundred times that pecha berries are better than aguav berries if I could just find her. I reach down to pick another berry when I notice a small patch of purple burried in the center of the bush. Leaning in closer to examine it, I slowly reach into the bush and grab a firm hold of it. Intending to pull it out and examine the object more closely, I yank on it and,

"OW!"

I jerk my hand away and back up a few paces. Slowly, a young girl, maybe twelve or thirteen, emerges from the bush rubbing her head. She looks taken aback when she sees me and snaps,

"That really hurt you know."

"Umm, sorry?" I say, but it comes out sounding more like a question. I'm not sure how to react to hostile girls who I find hiding in bushes.

"Chili, you know the drill," she orders and snaps her fingers, "knock him out and drag him in the bush."

And that's when it clicks.

"Chili? Iris? You guys are the missing Gym Leaders." I say, feeling stupid. Iris and Chili share looks before Chili steps forwards menacingly. Realizing that they're trying to stay hidden and having strangers stumble upon them in a forest probably isn't such a good surprise for them, I take a step back, hold my hand up defensively and say, "Whoa, whoa. I'm not gonna rat you guys out. I need help finding my friend. Have you seen her?"

"Who's your friend," Chili–the redhead–asks, still suspicious.

"Touko White. She's a newly wanted criminal, and I was wondering if you'd seen her." I explain.

"Then why'd you come here?" Iris asks doubtfully.

"Because I looked on the alert bulliten for information about criminals, and the only leads I got were on you two and someone named Skyla. I thought Touko might have seen the same information and come here too." I tell them.

"Team Plasma has information on us?" Chili asks, suspicions forgotten. He shares a concerned look with Iris before telling me, "You'd better be telling the truth."

"Cross my heart." I say, drawing an 'X' over my chest.

"Yay! We'll totally help you find your friend!" Iris says, suddenly super cheery.

"Iris!" Chili frowns at the sudden pledge of their assistance.

"What," she soothes his fears, "there's two of us and one of him. We could totally take him if anything goes wrong."

Chili nods, and even though Iris' logic scares me, I go along with it.

"Right. So do you guys know where we could look?" I ask.

"What was the information you had on Skyla?" Chili asks determined.

"Umm, something about a different forest," I muse, trying to recall this crucial location.

"The Pinwheel Forest?" Iris tries, being helpful, "The Lostlorn Forest?"

"That's it," I cry, "the Lostlorn Forest."

"Then let's go." Chili says.

**Touko's P.O.V.**

Skyla and I are hiking slowly through the forest trying not to step on any twigs or frighten any Pokemon out of the surrounding bushes. We're attempting to be as quiet as possible– I thought I heard someone walking around in the woods earlier– but our attempt are thwarted by Servine. I let him out of his Pokeball to get some fresh air with us, and he has gone out of his way to step on every twig, dead leaf, or otherwise noisy projectile in a five yard radius. When he breaks another twig, I hiss,

"Servine. You have to be more quiet, or I'm gonna put you back in your Pokeball."

Obviously not understanding the warning in my tone, he shrilly exclaims, "Servine!" loudly in excitement.

That's when we hear the footsteps.

Adrenaline floods my veins, and I can hear my heart pumping in my ears. I'm ready to switch into my famous 'who the hell are you, fuck with me and I'll screw you over' mood, but the-deer-in-the-headlights look on Skyla's face is enough to remind me, right. We're two of the top-ten-most-wanted criminals. Skyla grabs my arm, and drags me into the surrounding brush. We worm our way into the middle of a bush and are so preoccupied with covering ourselves that, too late, I realize we've forgotten,

"SERVINE!" My bewildered Pokemon screeches in confusion.

"Fuck. We're screwed." I mutter.

And it looks like I'm right too, because at the sharp cry of my Servine, the footsteps speed up and grow closer. I find myself holding my breath, willing the wanderer to turn around and leave us alone, but I'm out of luck. Abruptly, a girl with matted purple hair breaks through a tangle of vines and stumbles into our section of the woods. Twigs and leaves are wrapped in her shoulder-length locks, and apparently this makes her trustworthy, for Servine runs over to her and tries to explain the plight of his missing owner to this mystery woman by waving his arms in circles and wailing,

"Servine, Servine, Servine," repeatedly in Pokemon.

"Calm down little guy. Are you alone?" She responds in a melodic tone.

Skyla draws a sharp breath, and bolts from the bush, exclaiming, "Shauntal! You're alive!"

"You're Shauntal?" I query, emerging from the undergrowth as well. "Well, welcome to the rebellion field trip." I walk over to Servine and recall him to his Pokeball, causing Shauntal to ask,

"Is he yours?"

"Yep," I proudly respond.

Skyla and I explain the concept of the rebellion to Shauntal, while she gives a brief explanation of how she ran away from the grunt, and how she lost her Pokemon in doing so. We are hiking in the shadows of Route 14, until I hear a familiar voice calling my name.

"Touko?" Touya calls.

"Touya!" I screech, and drag my friends out to meet him.

I notice the other two gym leaders with him.

"Great. You brought friends."

We are all camped out at the Abundant Shrine, and we pitch our tent.

"So, what's for dinner?" asks Touya

"You _have _to let Touko cook! She's amazing!" Skyla cries.

"Well, hold on." I say, "I hear Chili was the best cook in Unova, let's let him make dinner. I'll make dessert, and some refreshments." I say, stepping down.

"Okay." Skyla consents.

I give the crayfish to Chili, who beams with excitement, and gets right to finding herbs. I dance off into the forest in search of Pokemon and berries. In an hour I'm done gathering things, and I start to juice my Sitrus berries. Then I make a pie, well, really a sweet soup, for dessert. We all feast on crayfish steamed with powdered revival herb, and other herbs I haven't heard of. Chili really put my makeshift tools to use.

"I have a surprise for you guys." I tell them. "We wouldn't be much of a rebellion without Pokemon, so Shantaul?"

She steps forward, and I hand her a Pokeball with a Dusk Stone. She turns the Pokeball over in her hands, smiling, but doesn't open it.

"Iris?"

Iris steps forward, and I hand her a Pokeball which she, unlike Shauntal, opens immediately, releasing the Haxorus inside. Iris beams at me.

"Chili?"

I hand him a Simisear.

"Touya?" I ask hesitantly.

As he steps forward, I hand him an Oshawott. Shauntal opens her Pokeball, revealing the Lampent inside. She hands it the dusk stone, and a blinding light fills the tent. After the light dissipates, I notice Shantaul is crying, and really, so is every one in the tent but me. Wow. Am I really so emotionless? Touya goes, and wipes something off of my cheek. It's a tear. Oh, guess I must have been crying too.

"Okay, now who wants dessert?" I ask cheerfully.

Eleven voices beam yes at me, five human, six Pokemon, and I dish out the soup into newly acquired bowls, and hand out spoons.

"Oh, that reminds me," Touya says standing up "I brought you your favorite berries, Sitrus berries." He beams, and hands me five cases.

I gape.

"Touya, first of all, I like _Pecha_ berries, not Sitrus berries! Get your facts straight. And second, couldn't you have given me theses _before_ I made desert?" I shout.

"Sorry." Touya says, still grinning.

We all sit down, and enjoy some berry soup.

"Three cheers for the rebellion." I announce.

We all cheer.


	7. Chapter 6

**TOUKO'S P.O.V**

Chili passes around dinner – some kind of 'fancy' stew – to all of us. I look at it skeptically, trying to pick out any and all pecha berries that might be in there.

"Looking for pecha berries?" Touya teases me and I shoot him a death glare. However, all is forgiven when he tosses me some out of his own stew. I eat them quickly before he can change his mind and take them back.

"So," says Skyla, giving me a significant look, "now that we're an official rebellion, I was thinking we need to do rebellion-type stuff."

Touya drops his spoon straight into his stew. "Since when are we a rebellion?"

"Since Touko and I said so," Skyla replies.

"And when was that?" Touya demands.

"You weren't here," I cut in quickly. "No one was there but me and Skyla."

"So how were we supposed to know that we're a rebellion if no one tells us?" complains with an exasperated expression on his face.

"It doesn't matter," I say, trying to keep the peace. "The point is, now we all know that we're a rebellion."

"So let's do rebellion-type stuff!" chimes in Skyla.

"Okay, first of all, what the fuck is 'rebellion-type' stuff?" Chili demands, going in for seconds of his stew. I'm pretty sure going for seconds of something you cooked is immodest, but I'm not going to say anything in case Chili decides to cut off my food supply.

"You know!" Skyla bounces a up-and-down a little. "Rebelling … and stuff."

"Wow, okay," says Chili sarcastically. "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the leader of this 'rebellion'!"

"Excuse me," I interrupt. "_I_ am the leader of this rebellion."

"I've got much better experience at leading," argues Shauntal.

"But I've been on the run longer," Skyla pouts.

"I've been on the run practically my whole life," adds Iris.

"Yes, but who has the strongest Pokemon?" I counter. "Who's the only one who has a plan for this rebellion? Who's the one who caught all of you Pokemon of your own to battle with?"

"That would be you," grumbles Chili.

"Exactly," I agree, triumphantly folding my arms over my chest.

"Hey, wait a second!" Touya protests. "I'm completely cut out of this whole competition. Not cool, Touko."

"That's because you brought me sitrus berries, not pecha berries," I reply. "Which wasn't very cool either, Touya."

"Would you please get over that?" Touya cries. "They're just _berries_."

"Just berries?!" Chili and I shriek together. Before I can launch into a monologue about how pecha berries are the very best, most sweet and juicy type of berries in all of Unova, Chili starts talking about how many types of food you can make with pecha berries.

"All right, we get it!" Iris interrupts, though you think she'd be the most used to Chili's food fanatics, having practically lived with him her entire life. "Pecha berries are extremely useful in the makings of a variety of foods."

"Well, so are sitrus berries," mutters Touya, pulling his cap over his face.

"And they're good hair dye!" Skyla pipes up.

"What?" Shauntal says intelligently.

"Hair dye," repeats Skyla. She looks embarrassed for a second. "When I was younger, I went through this phase where I dyed my hair blond. And, um, I used sitrus berries."

"Seriously?" my eyes widen as a plan starts falling into place inside my mind. "Do you think you could show us how to do that?"

"What, dye hair?" asks Skyla. She shrugs. "Yeah, it'll be pretty easy. Plus there are yachi berries in this forest. If we find some, we could also dye our hair blue."

"Yay!" I squeal, sounding like Bianca for a minute, and give Skyla a hug. "I have a plan for how we kick off this rebellion, you guys!"

"Oh, joy, a plan," says Chili, still in his sarcastic mode.

"No, Chili, you'll like this," I tell him cheerfully. "We're going into town tomorrow. We'll go shopping for supplies and food and … things of that nature. Have a little fun instead of just hiding out here. Maybe even cause some trouble."

"Legit?" Iris looks ecstatic. "I haven't had fun since I was _two_!"

"Thanks, Iris," comments Chili.

"Sorry," Iris says apologetically. "It's just you can't really have fun or cause trouble when you're on the run and have to be super-careful all the time."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Chili says dismissively. He's all happy now that we're going shopping for food tomorrow.

"See, Touko," Touya says, finishing up his stew. "My sitrus berries came in handy after all, you have to admit that."

I don't. All I say instead is, "Tomorrow morning you and Iris can go searching for yachi berries so we can dye our hair blue, too, Touya."

I can feel him glaring at me, but I just calmly finish my soup and crawl into my sleeping bag. "Good night, everybody."

"'Night, leader of the rebellion," Iris calls cheerfully before retiring to her sleeping bag too. Chili says nothing, just takes away all the empty stew bowls.

I smile into my pillow. Touko White, Rebellion Leader. That has a nice ring to it.

**SKYLA'S P.O.V.**

"Morning, Skyla," Iris says cheerfully to me as she wakes up. "You're up early for someone who isn't coming to get yachi berries."

I've been up all night, actually, thinking, but I don't say that to Iris. "Morning. You might want to wake up Touya. He's supposed to go with you, isn't he?"

"Yeah," Iris answers. She grins mischievously at me. "I was pretty surprised Touko put me and him together though. I thought she'd want to go with him herself. It kind of seems like they have a thing for each other."

"Totally," I agree, pretending to be really into this conversation, though I'm actually focused on something else. I have noticed a special vibe between Touko and Touya, though.

"They'd be so cute together," Iris announces, sticking her foot out at Touya's sleeping bag to give him a gentle nudge. But she kind of stumbles when her foot touches nothing but air.

"Skyla!" Her yellow cat-like eyes widen at me. "Touya's gone!"

"What?" a muffled voice calls out. "No, I'm not!" We both whip our heads toward the sound. It seems to be coming from … Touko's sleeping bag?

Touya crawls out of there, weaving expertly through Touko's limbs (it seems like they were intertwined all last night, tee-hee) without waking her up. "You said something, Iris?"

"We have to get yachi berries now," Iris explains. She wiggles her eyebrows at him. "But more importantly, just what were you doing in Touko's sleeping bag?"

He turns scarlet. "Nothing! Nothing … inappropriate. It's just that Touko was muttering that she was cold in the middle of the night and so I went there to warm her up."

"We have spare blankets, you know," I piped up. "You could've just thrown one over her, Touya."

"Unless of course, you wanted an excuse to sleep next to our darling Touko," Iris sings out with a knowing look.

Touya pales. "No! I … I really didn't know we had spare blankets."

Iris laughs and friendlily loops her arm through his. "Let's go get yachi berries, lover boy." She waves 'bye' to me and they traipse off farther into the forest and out of sight.

Without Iris' distracting (but appreciated) cheerfulness, I return to my depressing thoughts from yesterday. I desperately wish that I hadn't brought up the whole berry/hair dye thing, because it brings back so many memories.

Happy memories, yes. But remembering the people in them cause so much pain.

See, Caitlin and I were practically inseparable before Team Plasm took over. And when I was going through my hair-dye phase, she was too. Because that's what best friends do – come up with strange ideas and look ridiculous doing them together.

Caitlin was the one smart enough to even figure out how to use sitrus berries to dye our hair. But I can remember the exact process, just like I can remember everything about everything Caitlin and I ever did together.

I miss her so much that it actually hurts my heart.

_Cheer up_, I tell myself. _You're not alone anymore. You have your rebellion – and even Shauntal back! And if Caitlin knew about this, she'd go crazy about being part of this rebellion. She'd be so proud of you. Plus, in a way, Touko is a lot like Caitlin … _

Not that I was trying to replace Caitlin with Touko. Caitlin was irreplaceable.

I drink a whole lot of our purified drinking water – I don't feel guilty because we're about to go replenish our stock in town today – and catch sight of my reflection in the clear water. I look like a crazy person – bags under my eyes, hair sticking out and all over the place, face pale and eyes bloodshot. I'm surprised Iris and Touya didn't run away screaming when they first saw me.

_It's your own fault_, I think. _That's how you look when you don't sleep_. So I get back into my sleeping bag and close my eyes. I fall asleep dreaming about a reunion with Caitlin.

What felt like only minutes later, someone is poking me awake. "Skyla. _Skyla. _SKYLA!"

"I'm up, I'm up!" I scream, jumping out of my sleeping bag. I shoot a glare at the person who had screamed into my ear – Iris, of course.

She grins at me sheepishly. "Ready to dye your hair?"

"Yup," I answer, twirling a burnt orange strand of my stringy hair around my finger. I've never really liked my hair all that much – one of the reasons I dyed it blue that day years ago. "Are you?"

"Definitely," Iris replies earnestly. She gestures to her beautiful dark purple hair. "Look at what a thick mess this is. I can't wait to try something new with it."

"I'd trade hair with you any day," I tell her honestly. "But our hair is about to look identical anyway, so what does it really matter?"

Iris giggles. "Touya and I got _loads _of yachi berries. We weren't really sure how much you needed."

"Oh, you'd be surprised," I tell her, as we walk out of the tent to where everyone else is waiting. "You'd only need about twenty berries to do a guy's hair, fifty for a girl whose hair is as long as yours and Touko's."

"We have enough, then," Iris replies, looking relieved, and she gestures to buckets and buckets full of yachi berries, along with the many packs of sitrus berries Touya originally brought.

"Skyla!" Shauntal greets me. "You slept okay?"

"Great," I say. "So, are you all ready to dye your hair?"

"No," Chili grumbles. He smooths down his flaming red mop of hair. "I like my hair looking fiery hot."

Touko puts a hand to her mouth to cover her laughter, Touya turns his laugh into a snort, but Iris – who has known him the longest – laughs outright. "You'll look great with blonde hair," she reassures Chili.

"Actually," interrupts Touko, "I was thinking it would be kind of strange for all of us to have identical looking hair. So maybe the boys, since there are less of them, should dye their hair blue with blonde streaks, and the girls can do blonde with blue streaks. Plus, we have more yachi berries."

"That's quite smart, actually," Shauntal comments, sounding impressed. I feel a surge of pride in Touko, it takes a lot to impress Shauntal. "You do make a good leader, Touko."

"She does, doesn't she?" agrees Touya, who won't look either me or Iris in the eye.

"Shut up, both of you," says Touko, but her face shows off a hint of a smile.

"Let's get started," I interrupt before they can start debating about it, and show them how it's done using my hair as the demonstration. It's dyed fully blonde, and I tell them to wait for it to dry before they start putting streaks in.

The girls take the buckets of yachi berries and Touya and Chili each grab a packet of sitrus ones. I watch everyone carefully in case they need help, waiting for my own freshly dyed hair to dry.

After they finish and switch berries (the boys get the buckets of yachi berries and the girls take sitrus berry packets), I demonstrate how to streak your hair while everyone else lets theirs dry. My hair is done, so I wait while everyone else finishes up.

Finally, our hair is done. "Remember, all of you," I warn them, "hair dye is hair dye, even in berry form. Don't get wet because it'll fade out."

"Got it." Iris salutes me in mock-seriousness.

"I look hideous!" moans Chili, staring at his reflection in the water. "I was never meant to be a blue-haired guy. That's for _Cress_."

"Who?" asks Touya innocently.

"One of my brothers," Chili answers simply. "The other one is Cilan."

Touya looks like he's on the verge of more questions – for example: _Where are Cilan and Cress, then?_ - but Shauntal cuts in quickly, explaining, "Cilan and Cress were arrested soon after Team Plasma took over. They should be in jail now."

There's an awkward silence, until Touko picks up a package of unused sitrus berries and pops some into her mouth. "We should just eat these for lunch," she says.

"You don't want me to cook up something?" Chili sounds hurt.

"No, Chili, we don't want to waste these berries," Touko answers in a way that won't hurt the no-longer-a-redhead's feelings. "And anyway, this will be faster and we'll have more time to go into the town and food shop."

"Alright," sighs Chili. He grabs some leftover yachi berries. "I call these. They're my favorite."

As he and Touko get into a heated debate over whether pecha berries or yachi berries are better – they're both wrong, aguav berries are perfection – the rest of us scramble for whatever berries are left. We all know how Touko and Chili get when they eat out of anger.

**TOUKO'S P.O.V.**

I can't believe it. We're all in town, we've just walked past a bunch of patrolling Team Plasma Grunts, and they never even so much as glanced at us. Well, that, and the fact that I'm now a sitrus berry-colored blonde with messy blue streaks in my hair. I have no idea how in the world Skyla's hair looks like she got it done at a salon and I kind of have to admit I'm a little jealous.

But the point is, we're in town.

"We should split up," says Shauntal, pushing her sunglasses up to the top of her head. Because her eyes are purple, and therefore way too easily recognizable, she thought it would be best to cover them up subtly. "Chili can get his food, Iris can go fool around, the rest of us can do whatever the hell they want ..."

I follow her gaze towards a Game Corner. I would never have guessed cool, calm and collected Shauntal would like something as vulgar as gambling. But who am I to judge? I love it too.

"No," Skyla says firmly. "Don't you remember what happened the _last_ time we split up, Shauntal? We lost Caitlin and the two of us were separated for years."

"How about Touya and I go with Iris to have some fun," I suggest, "since we're all around the same age. Skyla, you and Shauntal can shop for food with Chili. We'll all meet back here in two hours, right in front of this giant Plasma TV."

"Sounds good," says Skyla, who seems happy to not have to go off on her own.

"Yay yay yay yay yay, let's go!" cries Iris, reminding me of Bianca on a sugar rush. With a pang, I miss my best friend – or at least the friend she used to be before she let Team Plasma brainwash her.

Touya and I exchange glances, it looks like he's reminded of Bianca too. "Better not keep her waiting," he says with a grin, gesturing to Iris. I nod in agreement and we chase after her, since she's already tearing down the sidewalk.

Two hours later, Touya and I are toting giant shopping bags full of candy and stuffed Pokemon – it looks like Iris was seriously deprived of her childhood. We've also been on the town carousal ten to twelve times. Thankfully, it's time for us to meet back up with Shauntal, Skyla and Chili.

The three of them are already waiting for us, all loaded with bags stuffed with food, courtesy of the cash I won at the roulette table in a Game Corner.

"Good shopping?" I ask Chili.

He nods ecstatically. Before he can actually say anything, the Plasma TV flickers and gets all staticky, and then finally turns on.

It's the face of Ghetsis. A shiver runs down my spine as I remember seeing this face on my TV when I was four years old, and then having my parents forcefully taken away. I instantly grip onto the closest hand to me – it's Touya's.

"Good afternoon, my loyal subjects," Ghetsis says politely. "I am pleased to announce that this long-awaited day has arrived. Today is the coronation of our Prince N – the day he finally becomes King and takes over Team Plasma. All of you, sit down and watch, I command you. And now, let the coronation begin."

The screen changes to a view through a camera, where a boy with long, curly, light green hair – he's me and Touya's age, practically! - is sitting on a finely decorated throne. Below this live feed is a little line that reads **TEAM PLASMA PRINCE N'S CORONATION**. There's something about this N that I can't stop looking at.

"Damn, he's hot," I think, and then blush when I realize I've said it out loud. I shake my head a little as if that will get rid of the thought, and pretend to be thoroughly engaged in the coronation.

**TOUYA'S P.O.V.**

Here we all are, watching some stupid, most likely lazy and good-for-nothing _prince_ get crowned a king, but I can honestly say that I'm not paying all that much attention to it. After all, there are more important things on my mind.

Like the fact that Touko White is gripping onto my hand.

Sure, it's incredibly tight and more like she's totally freaked out by something rather than a loving gesture that means she's incredibly in love with me and wants to make out, but if I ignore the pain, then it feels like we're holding hands.

Of course, that wonderful fantasy ends when I hear Touko say, "Damn, he's hot," and realize she's talking about this Prince N, not me.

I stand there rigidly, glaring at this 'N' on the screen, even though he can't see me or feel the stare or know how much I hate him right now. But since he doesn't know who I am and probably doesn't care, it's not like it matters.

What's so great about him, anyway? He has freaking _green _hair. That's not normal! (So what if Iris and Shauntal have shades of purple hair? It looks good on them.) Plus, it's not even a manly green, more like a faded dead-grass color. Plus, it's just so long, like the length of hair Touko has. Who wants to date a guy whose hair is as long as yours? Personally, that's just creepy.

And his name! What, does he think he sounds cool and mysterious just because his name is only one letter? 'N' just sounds really stupid on its own. He should've picked a much cooler letter for the one initial – 'Z' maybe or 'T'. Those are some letters with real swag.

My anger deflates though, when some Plasma Grunt places a ridiculously bejeweled crown on N's green-haired head. He's a prince, and he's filthy rich. How in the world can I compete with that? He's the kind of guy girls dream of coming to sweep them off their feet, and even if Touko is the leader of the rebellion, she probably still has those kinds of girly dreams.

I don't have a chance with her.

"Touya," someone says, waving their hand in front of my face. It takes me a second to register that it's Iris. "Touya, the broadcast's over."

"I knew that," I lie, but it's such an unimportant one that nobody challenges it. As an awkward silence ensues, I realize that Touko has let go of my hand, which only makes things worse.

"Let's go home," says Chili. "I have the perfect idea of what to make for dinner."

"Yeah," I echo, "let's go home." I want to either take a long nap and forget about this N guy who has obviously stolen Touko's heart, or at least come up with a hundred ways to make her love me instead of him.

Shauntal and Touko walk on ahead, leading the way back to our makeshift 'home'. Skyla, however, walks side-by-side with me.

"Don't worry," she says with a brilliant smile, "I bet you Touko didn't mean anything by what she said about N. And anyway, she'd never date him because they're on opposite sides. How could the leader of the rebellion date the king of Team Plasma? You've still got the best chance with her."

I smile back at Skyla. She's right. I do have a much better chance than N – who hasn't even met Touko, anyway – but I need to make a move before some either guy comes into the picture. Like if Touko starts falling for Chili or something.


	8. Chapter 7

**Touko's P.O.V.**

My friends and I head to bathe at the waterfalls by the Abundant Shrine.

"Girls to the left waterfall, boys to the far one. No crossing the rock border! Am I clear?" I sound off.

"Yep." Everyone mumbles.

"Good." I respond

Us girls go and strip down until we're naked, and then bathe in the pool of water, washing out hair under the waterfall. I am perfectly content until I see a pair of eyes peeping out at us. I go casually over to Skyla, and whisper in hr ear,

"See that bush? There's a person in it. I want you to slowly grab your Pokeball, and attack him, but first when you pull away from me, giggle like I just told you good gossip."

She obeys, and we both giggle. Skyla turns, and swiftly releases Woobat.

"Air slash!" she commands, pointing at the bush.

An unconscious grunt falls out of it. I towel dry, and yell to the boys,

"We've got to move camp, you can finish your bathes later."

**Plasma Castle:**

Ghestis looked at the picture of a band of six youths that had been lain out in front of him. The one in the front, with shoddily died blond hair that contained blue streaks, stares at him with a defiant scowl. Ghestis turns to N.

"These are the bad people I was warning you about earlier, they're in disguise now." Ghestis tells the new King of Unova.

"They seem harmless." N replies smoothly.

"Do you not recognize the accursed Gym Leaders who made you faithful innocent friends, the Pokemon, suffer for ages?" Ghestis reproaches his son sharply. "What do you see in her pocket?" He gestures to the picture.

N examines it closely before replying, "I see that some of them have Pokeballs."

"Exactly," Ghestis replies triumphantly. "And what do you think is in those Pokeballs, so 'innocently' placed in their pockets?"

"Pokemon?" N inquires, his eyes widening with shock. "No, they would never-"

N's comment is cut short by a grunt bursting into the room, who possesses a rather angry red lump on his forehead.

"Sir, there is a group of six fugitives on Route 14, they all possess Pokemon, and one used her Pokemon, and forced it to attack me."

"Thank you." Ghestis idly replies, dismissing the grunt, who bows, and exits. "This is worse than I though, but I can take care of it. They're not a threat." Ghestis summarizes, then leaves.

But as N looked at the picture, he couldn't help but feel nervous. He examined the girl with her fake blond hair, and messy blue streaks, and he couldn't help but feel that she was in some way, insidious.

**Touko's P.O.V.**

We're all at the abundant shrine training, a small, quaint little area with large spacious fields filled with new Pokemon. I dash barefoot through shallow ankle deep pools of water, finding Basculine, and the occasional Slowpoke. I run through a field of grass, as we pack up camp, and I am stopped by a legendary Pokemon I find. It's called Thundrus, and it's blue with a black bow, and it rides on a cloud. It jumps out at me, startling me. On impulse, I throw an ultra ball at it, and I actually catch it.

"Guys!" I call out, my voice sounds over the spacious land, "I think I caught our first legendary! Now lets move camp!

"You what?" Shauntal asks.

"Caught a legendary. Lets go!" I call to every on, we're finally ready. We hike out of the abundant shrine.

"Where do we go now?" Chili asks me.

"We head to Undella Town." I answer, "And look for more fugitives. Lets go through the names. Now, only answer if you _saw_ them get taken away. Very little chance they escaped. Not heard, not wondered. _Saw_. Okay, anyone not accounted for we'll assume is MIA. Lets begin. Chili, do you know about your brothers?"

"Arrested. They were taken away in front of me. I fled with Iris."

"Okay, that's two down, we have you, Lenora?"

"I watched them ransack her museum, and drag out her and her husband." Skyla adds.

"Kay, that's a big yes. Burgh?"

No one can account for him, and we continue.

"Does anyone know where Drayden is?" I ask.

Chili gets all teary eyed, before he launches into a story.

"Iris, Drayden and I were all walking in the Pinwheel Forrest, when we got jumped. Drayden bravely fought off the grunts, getting himself arrested, and told me to 'grab Iris and run.' Iris has grown up only knowing what I can tell her about her father."

"Oh." Is all I can say.

We finish the process in a solemn manner until we've narrowed it down to Brycen.


	9. Chapter 8

Our group is hiking through the mountains by Undella Town, when suddenly a realization slaps me across the face.

"We left Cheren and Bianca!" I cry.

"Well," Touya grimly observes, "It's too late to get them now."

"No, we have to go back for them." I cry, "You know Team Plasma. Bianca and Cheren are our closest friends. Team Plasma will try to torture information out of them."

"But they _don't _know anything." Touya responds in perfect know-it-all fashion.

"So Team Plasma will thing that they are just withholding information from them. They could get hurt!" I shout.

I watch Touya, as the realization spreads across his face as well. Her knows I'm right.

"Okay, fine. But Touko, grab your Pidove. We need to get there fast." He states.

"Oh, yeah, and speaking of which, I'm running out of Pokeballs. We may need to make a pit-stop."

"Okay." Touya agrees.

We speed off to Nuvema Town, hoping to get to our friends before Team Plasma does.

At Nuvema Town, Bianca was gravely worried. First Touko was a wanted criminal, and now Touya. What happened to their plan to stay law-abiding citizens? Suddenly Bianca felt a wave of air sweep down behind her. She and Cheren wheeled around, to find Touko and Touya of the back of a Pidove.

"Hi guys." I call happily.

"Get on the Pidove. No time to explain." Touya says, dead serious.

Cheren, seeing Touya's expression, climbed on the Pidove without further question. Bianca, however, was not as eager.

"Cheren! You get down from there. If we associate with criminals, we could become criminals. I am not leaving." She shrieks.

"Cheren, how much does Bianca weigh?" Touya asks.

"Umm, about one hundred-fifteen pounds." Cheren answers.

"We can take her." Touya answers.

"Wait what! Guys. No!" Bianca protests, as Cheren and Touya pick her up, and drag her onto the Pidove.

"I am riding on the back of a Pidove, with two major criminals." Bianca says before shutting her eyes tightly. "This isn't happening. This isn't happening." Bianca moans, as if shutting her eyes will make the scary go away.

"So Touya," Cheren begins, "What was so important that we get on this Pidove, and possibly become criminals?"

In very few words, Touya explains their situation, and our fears about Team Plasma torturing information out of them.

"But, but Team Plasma wouldn't do that to us. We're innocent citizens." Bianca says idiotically.

"Bianca!" I scream, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her "Team Plasma broke into my house, kidnapped my parents, and left me by myself when I was fucking _four-years-old!_" I growl in her face.

Suddenly Pidove spirals downward, and we land somewhere in the White Forest.

"Oh, crap. Pidove's out of energy. Guess we have to walk the rest of the way." I say brightly. "Now, lets go and find a way out of this forest."

At the mention of walking, Bianca flops of the ground and goes limp, forcing me to carry her, for Touya and Cheren have grown tired. We are walking around, probably in circles, when I her a voice saying

"Do you need some help with that?"

"Brycen?" I cry. "Where are you?"

"Over here. I recognize you from your debut on Unova Television." He answers, stepping out of shadows, and plucking Bianca out of my arms.

"Great, now I'm in a party with three criminals. This day just keeps getting better." Bianca groans.

"Oh Bells." I mutter. "We're the good guys here."

We are almost to the camp, but I insist on stopping to catch Brycen a Vanilluxe. He happily accepts it, and Bianca just groans and shakes her head, her candy floss blond hair flying everywhere. I send Brycen on ahead with Cheren and Bianca, while I stay behind with Touya.

"Well, that was easier than I thought." I remark.

"Touko." Touya says, before pulling me into an embrace and kissing me. After I share a heated kiss with Touya, we turn to find out camp in the middle of a battle zone.

"Hey, Brycen. Catch!" I call, tossing Brycen a flip camera. "Take pictures!" I call, before fleeing to join the battle.


	10. Chapter 9

**TOUKO'S P.O.V.**

"Here, Cheren," I say, handing him Pidove's Pokeball. "Battle."

There's no way I'm trusting Bianca with this, considering how she's acting at the moment – Bells is cowering in the corner, yelling at Team Plasma, "I was kidnapped! I'm not with them! I just want to go home! Seriously, take me back to Nuvema Town, please, please, please!"

My blue-haired, bespectacled friend does a double take. "Who, me? I have no idea how to even use a Pokeball, Touko! I can't battle."

I sigh dramatically, and give the Pokeball a perfect toss with a nice little arc to it. "There. Now just tell it what to do."

Before Cheren can say something else, I turn away from him and lock eyes with two Plasma Grunts. "That's her," one whispers. "The Rebellion leader." They charge towards me.

I pull out Servine and Thunderous and start double-battling the two Grunts. They look a little freaked at the fact that I have a legendary at my disposal, but that's really to my advantage. I take them out easily, and they run off when they realize they're defenseless and surrounded by hostile gym leaders with powerful Pokemon.

I turn to see who to battle next, but it appears that all the Plasma Grunts have been taken. The gym leaders are completely at ease, looking really happy to finally battle someone again. I'm pleasantly surprised at Iris, who is kicking ass with her Haxorus. Is it true she's never battled before? Obviously, Iris has natural talent, but from what Chili's told me about her father, Drayden, I'm not surprised.

Cheren, too, has caught on to how this is done and is pummeling the Plasma Grunt's two Swoobats to the ground, alongside Touya. Looking at my friends gives me a flash of pride, until it makes me think of my other friend, Bianca.

Glancing at her, I see she's finally shut up (thank Arceus). Bianca is watching us in awe, most especially the Pokemon. _Ha_, I think triumphantly, _Bianca totally wants in on the rebellion now._

Suddenly, a Woobat cries out in pain and I hear the noise of it landing on the ground with a sickeningly loud _thud_. Skyla shrieks, and I whirl around just in time to see a Plasma Grunt grabbing her by the hair and another one handcuffing her with a smirk. There is a red mark on Skyla's face in the shape of a hand, as though someone's slapped her.

If I could see my eyes, I'm sure they'd be blazing with fire right now. Quickly, I grab a giant tree branch from the ground and run up behind the Plasma Grunt who's trying to lead Skyla away right in the midst of the battle. Coward.

I tap him on the shoulder pretty politely for someone who wouldn't regret ripping his head off right now. He turns to face me and I give him a broad smile, tree branch in hand. "Uh uh uh," I scold him, "that's not how you treat a lady."

Before he can say anything in reply, I raise the tree branch and whack him in the stomach hard. He automatically falls to the floor, and I keep on whacking, yelling furiously at him while I do it. "Don't you ever touch my friends again, you fucking asshole!" I scream, hitting him harder and harder thanks to built up rage. As soon as he's bleeding all over, I stop, panting.

There's a silence throughout the whole forest, and I realize that everyone is staring at me. The Grunts look freaked out, their Pokemon fainted all over the forest floor. I grab the somewhat bloody keys off the Grunt-I-just-beat-up's belt and unlock Skyla's handcuffs.

Looking directly in the eyes of the rest of the Plasma Grunts, I flash them an intimidating smile. "Anyone else want to try and take one of us prisoner?"

They look nervously at each other before running off at breakneck speed. I laugh. "Did you get all that in pictures, Brycen?"

He nods. "Sure did. Some really good ones. Not sure what you're ever going to need them for though, Touko."

"We're going to invade Team Plasma's technology system," I explain to Brycen, and everyone else. "Get these pictures up on TV so everyone can see what they really do. Maybe even hijack their audio system and give a nice little pro-rebellion speech."

Skyla dusts off her outfit and smiles. "That's going to be amazing! I can't wait – real rebellion stuff!"

"What, this wasn't enough 'rebellion' for you?" asks Chili sarcastically, gesturing to the current mess of our camp, thanks to that impromptu battle. "Now we'll have to clean it all up."

"No, actually," Shauntal interrupts, "I think it would be best for us to move camp. If the Grunts found us here and we stay, then they'll just come back later with way too many reinforcements for our Pokemon to fight off."

"I agree," I reply. "Everyone, start packing up. The sooner we get out of here, the better."

"What?" Bianca shrieks indignantly. "I just got here! I'm tired!" _Yeah, because you worked so hard battling those Plasma Grunts, didn't you, Bianca_, I think, and then instantly regret the bitchiness. I'm tired, but I did just drag Bianca out of her hometown and far, far away from the ideal law-abiding citizen lifestyle she enjoys so much.

"Now that they've seen you here, Bells, Team Plasma is going to think you're a traitor no matter what you say," Cheren tells her gently. "The best thing to do is go along with this and come with us. Plus, you'll never get back to Nuvema Town on your own."

Bianca looks like she's on the verge of tears, but she agrees to come along, tightly clinging onto Cheren. I can't believe that I've never noticed how good he is with her.

**BIANCA'S P.O.V.**

So here I am, having dinner in some _other _crazy forest, sitting alone on a log way behind everyone else. I can't believe I'm trapped here with a bunch of psycho people who just beat up Team Plasma. I can't believe that Touko – even worse, she's _leading_ this rebellion – and Touya are a part of this.

And Cheren looks like he's seriously considering being part of this too. But I can guess that I can understand why. After all, I've never seen Cheren look so happy or excited than when he was battling with that Pidove. Do Pokemon really make people that happy?

Well, I guess I'll never know. Team Plasma forbids people to have possession of either Pokeballs or Pokemon, so therefore, as a law-abiding citizen I refuse to touch either of them. I'll leave that to the crazies like this girl Iris and such. I still don't understand what Touko sees in them or why she thinks they're good friends.

Obviously, these 'friends' of Touko's have just been very bad influences, and now Touko's gone down to the dark side and sucked in Touya and Cheren too. But I'm a good person, I've been raised that way by my dad. No one is going to bring me to the dark side!

Surprisingly, this dinner is actually really, really good. Maybe even better than the cherri berry pie I used to make for dessert for me, Cheren, Touya, and Touko. You know, back when there was no crazy rebellion to tear us apart.

This Chili guy may be a psycho, but I absolutely _have _to get this yachi berry crepes recipe!

As if he's read my mind, he gets up and leaves the circle and comes to sit with me in my private corner.

"Are you enjoying?" Chili asks me. I nod politely, not quite sure I actually want to say anything to a crazy person.

"Thanks," Chili continues, as though I've complimented his food out loud. He looks at my expression and laughs. "I can tell whether or not people like my food based on how their faces look when they take a bite," he explains.

That's pretty cool. And it actually makes sense. You know, Chili's not bad for a crazy guy.

"That's cool," I tell him, nibbling on my crepe because I feel all awkward now. "This crepe is delicious."

"Thanks," Chili says again. "You know, I don't think I've really heard you talk except for when you were screaming at those Plasma Grunts that you were kidnapped and for them to take you back to Nuvema Town."

I blush. Maybe that had been just a tad overdramatic.

He smiles to show he's just teasing, and then changes his expression completely. "If you really want to go back," says Chili seriously, "I guess you should. Nobody here wants you to feel like you're kidnapped. But personally, I don't think you'll be safe back in Nuvema Town."

"Yes, I would," I tell him stubbornly. "Look, I don't know what you all have against Team Plasma but they're perfectly decent people and -"

Chili holds a hand up to stop me, so I stop because I'm polite and well-mannered. "Actually, Bianca, let me tell you something," he says quietly, and gestures to the circle of people laughing and eating dinner in front of us. The first person he points to is the crazy, cheerful girl Iris.

"That's Iris," Chili tells me, even though I already know. "I've known her since she was two. We used to be on the run from Team Plasma with her father Drayden, until Team Plasma found us. They took Drayden, and he's either dead now or in jail."

"That's so sad," I say, but Chili keeps going.

He points to the girl next to her, someone with lighter, shorter, but still purple hair. "Her name is Shauntal. She used to be a member of the Elite Four until Team Plasma took over. The rest of the Elite Four is in jail, Shauntal having only escaped by being helped by friends at the time they burned down the Elite Four's building."

I gasp. "That's terr -"

Chili cuts me off by continuing, so I figure I'll just stop making commentary. "Next to Shauntal is Skyla. They've been friends since long before the rebellion. Skyla, Shauntal and their friend Caitlin were on the run together, until Caitlin sacrificed herself to save Skyla and Shauntal. Skyla and Shauntal had to split up, too, to escape and they never saw each other again until a few days ago. I'm pretty sure all that has scarred Skyla for life."

He skips over Cheren and Touya, because I know them better than Chili does.

"And then there's Touko," he finishes. "You would think you would know Touko's story the best, but you obviously don't seem to get it."

"Excuse me!" I huffed. "I know exactly what happened to Touko. Her parents left her to work for Team Plasma when she was four and so now she lives with Tou -"

"No," Chili interrupts. "Team Plasma stole her parents away unwillingly. And she never saw them again because Ghetsis probably stuck them away in prison for life or killed them as soon as they were no longer useful."

My eyes widen. Suddenly, Touko's hatred for Team Plasma makes so much sense. They practically killed her childhood.

I nudge Chili gently. "And what about you?" I ask tentatively. "What's your horrible, tragic backstory?"

He hesitates before answering, and when he does he's staring determinedly at the ground. "I'm a triplet. I had two other brothers, Cilan and Cress, and we were basically attached at the hip. They were with me, Iris, and Drayden at first but got arrested long before the rest of us." His voice cracks and I grab his hand reassuringly. "I had to watch Cilan and Cress get arrested before my eyes, and I couldn't jump out to help them because I would get arrested too."

"Oh, Chili," I say, giving him a quick hug. "That's awful. I'm so sorry."

"It feels like I'm missing parts of me," he says with a hollow smile. "It feels so wrong to just be Chili, not Chili and Cilan and Cress, even after all these years."

I had no idea how that felt at all, so I couldn't really tell him I knew how he felt. So I said instead, "That's really sad."

"Finish your crepes," Chili says, abruptly changing the subject.

"Um, okay," I say and as I take a bite, Chili gets up and walks back to the circle of people. I get this desperate urging to follow him, but I resist. Since I'm not exactly a part of the rebellion, I don't think they'd want me over there.

About two seconds pass of me sitting alone before Touko joins me. "I saw you talking to Chili," she says, giving me a friendly shove.

"Oh, ew!" I squeal, understanding exactly what she's implying. "He's like twenty-something and that's light years older than us!"

For a minute, it feels like old times, when we could joke around for hours before break time was over and we had to get back to our strange jobs for Team Plasma. But after our giggles die down, an abnormal silence – abnormal only because there never used to be silence when Touko and I were having a discussion – falls over us.

"Look, Touko -" I start, about to apologize for not truly understanding the pain she felt about losing her parents the way she did and the hatred she had for Team Plasma, but Touko is saying something at the same time.

"Bianca, I have something I want to ask you."

"Okay," I say brightly, finishing up my crepe. "Ask away, Touko."

"I – I know you don't want to be here," says Touko quietly, "and I'm positive you'll say no but I still have to ask. Cheren's already agreed, just so you know, and I'm hoping that you'll say yes so you can stay with Cheren. But the choice is ultimately yours. Touya can take you back to Nuvema Town if you say no."

"Touko," I interrupt her little monologue. "Actually, I was trying to say something in the beginning, and I just wanna stick it in here. Chili was telling me things about Team Plasma and it's kind of changed my perspective on things. I want to join your rebellion. Oh, and I totally owe you a HUGE apology for not understanding about your parents or your feelings toward Team Plasma. Do you forgive me?"

Instead of answering like a normal person, Touko tackles me (thank God the plate that falls to the floor is empty, I have a feeling Chili would kill me for wasting any crepes) in a bear hug. "Bianca, I have never loved you more than I do right now!"

"Oh, Touko, I love you too," I say in a muffled voice from underneath her. "But do you mind getting off me?"

She gets off immediately and pulls me up. "So now I'm pretty sure you'll say yes, now that you are part of the rebellion. I want you to be a spy for the rebellion on Team Plasma."

"_What_?" I freak out. "When I said I wanted to be part of the rebellion, I thought it meant getting a Pokemon and living in the forest with all of you!"

"That's not all we do," Touko replies, looking slightly offended. "We have a plan. We want to infiltrate Team Plasma's technology and make the rebellion bigger than just us. Eventually, we're going to break into their castle and defeat them once and for all."

"That's extremely … optimistic," I offer, struggling for the right words to say. "And some very big dreams."

"Dream big or don't dream at all," Touko says firmly. "And listen, I know it seems like a huge, impossible job I'm giving you, but you'll be doing it with Cheren. All you have to do is keep living your law-abiding citizen life. But if you hear any gossip from Team Plasma Grunts, listen in. Memorize schedules of the security Grunts when they guard the castle doors and when they switch people. Every time you and Cheren learn something, you can report it to us."

"How will we do that?" I ask her. "If we're going to be in Nuvema Town and you'll be … wherever you move your camp to."

"I've given Cheren that Pidove," Touko answers. "You guys can write everything in mail and just send Pidove off. It has this special ability to automatically find people and not places."

"That's so cool," I answer, trying to keep the envy out of my voice when I add, "But maybe, Touko, I could have a Pokemon, too?"

She grins at me. "Of course you can, Bells! It's just, better to have only one Pokemon to hide while you're spying, because Team Plasma has to think they can trust you. But when we bring you and Cheren back to camp so we can break into Team Plasma' castle, I'll catch you a Pokemon for sure."

"So I'll wait until then," I tell her. "Don't worry, I'm very patient."

Touko tries to hide her laughter, but I catch it anyway. "Excuse me?! You don't think I'm a patient person?"

"Let's put it this way, Bells," says Touko between laughs, "you're a lot of things, but patient isn't one of them."

I make as if I'm going to hit her, and she jumps up and runs away. I chase her around the camp, both of us shrieking, while everyone else watches in amusement. It really feels as though we're back home in Nuvema Town, having fun, instead of being fugitives in a forest.

_You know what_, I think to myself, as I lunge for Touko and we both end up on the forest floor, giggling like crazy, _screw being a law-abiding citizen. This is the most fun I've had in a long time and I fucking LOVE it!_


	11. Chapter 10

A grunt walks in with meal trays to the emaciated captives. They grab the trays like a pack of ravenous wolves. The guard walks over to a pretty blond haired female, and whispers

"A grunt will pick you up at seven-fifty. I want to see you in my bedroom at eight."

The grunt leaves, and a red haired man leans up against the bars as close as he can get to his female companion. A friend pats the blond on her shoulder sympathetically.

"Elesa, what was that about?" The red haired man asks concerned.

"Alder, I don't really want to talk about it." Elesa sighs.

Later that night a man who is dressed in a gray knight uniform comes int the jail. He clears the meal trays, and he goes over to the blond.

"You come with me." He hisses, unlocks the cell, and roughly grabs her arm.

He drags her through a complicated maze-work of hallways, to a room. He shoves her into the compartment, and slams the door behind her. A key turns in the lock. The blond called Elesa sighs. She knows the drill. Ten minutes to change in this cubicle, and at eight, you go into the room. Elesa pulls on the scanty nightgown provided to her. At eight, as promised, the door to the room opens. Elesa is pulled inside, and has the door locked behind her. The grunt who brought them their meals earlier, now waits inside, partially undressed. He grabs her, and drags her towards the bed. Elesa doesn't even bother to protest, they just enjoy the process more. The grunt pulls her into bed, and she feels is rough hands fumbling with the night gown as he pulls it off her. She feels the grunt fumble with the clasp on her bra, and she thinks

"A bra isn't like a high security prison. Not that complicated." as she feels the elastic snapped on her back multiple times, before it finally gives.

The grunt pulls her into a passionate kiss before fumbling around, and pulling the bra off her body completely. They kiss a few seconds longer, and then she feels the mans hand on her thong. The worst has yet to come. She feels the man pull it down, and lock her hips in his. Then the agony truly begins.

The grunt in the other room pulls his hood off, and he hears the screaming begin. Damn. That little blond can really throw herself into her work. Maybe he should make a personal request? Nah, he should probably wait a few days until then so she isn't so tired. The screaming stops, and he hears the door slam. He will definitely make a request.

Elesa is shoved back into her cell, crying.

"What's wrong Elesa?" Caitlin asks.

"You know Arceus damn well what's wrong Caitlin!" Is the reply.

"Sorry I can't help." Caitlin whispers.

Elesa sighs and wishes it will be Caitlin's turn soon. Then she hates herself for thinking that. Caitlin was ten when Team Plasma took over. She was caught sacrificing herself to save her friends when she was thirteen. The grunts decided she was too young, but once she turned fifteen, the guards tossed her into the system, and fucked her like the rest of us.

"I hate being fucked." Elesa mumbles into her pillow.

"I know Elesa. Me too." Caitlin sighs.


	12. Chapter 11

We had just moved camp to the outside of Undella Town, so everyone was surprised when I announced that Shauntal and I would be going in.

"No Touko! Do you have a suicide wish?" Touya angrily cries.

"Touya, it's fine. Shauntal and I will only be fifteen minutes." I assure him before I go out.

Shauntal and I tiptoe through the dark and quiet streets of Undella. We have to get ready for tomorrows morning news broadcast.

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" I ask her.

"Yep. It's right over here." Shauntal replies before pushing open a door to a house.

The woman inside gasps in recognition.

"Shauntal? It's been ages. How are you?" the woman bubbles.

"I'm fine," Shauntal grimly answers, "But I need to cash in on some of those favors you owe me."

Soon, Shauntal and I are pushing a heavy machine through the street, doing grunt work. Grunt work. Get it? I'm hilarious. I find and empty seeming villa, and I pull out a bobbypin.

"This should take a second." I say before inserting the wire into the lock. I flick my wrist, and the lock springs open. I lug the machine in, and start connecting wires.

"Go get the others, and bring them here," I tell Shauntal, "I have serious work to do."

Shauntal departs, and I flip the lights on, puling out a manual.

"Well, I'd better get cracking." I say to myself.

I crack my knuckles, and begin to read. I work for a half hour connecting wires, and the machine is finally up and running. As I begin to read the instructions, the door bursts open, and Shauntal enters with the rest of our group.

"Wow. Classy." Is Chili's remark.

"We're really staying here?" Iris asks, her brown eyes widening with amazement.

"Super nice." Skyla agrees.

Thats when Touya notices the oversized piece of machinery that is occupying a large portion of the corner.

"What's that?" He asks.

"Something." I reply vaguely.

"Where'd you get it?" He asks again.

"Somewhere." I answer, trying to focus on the manual.

Touya stops asking questions and gets the message for about five minutes until he asks,

"So, we're crashing here tonight?"

"Yup," I reply. "I'll take first watch.

Every one lays out their sleeping bags, and I flick on my pocket flashlight to read the manuel. It is all about dials and frequencies, and knobs, and airways. Ugh! Too many numbers. After my two hour shift is done, I wake Brycen for his shift, and I read the manuel in my sleeping bag. I hear Iris and Skyla gossiping softly about the incident with me and Touya.

"Oh, shut up guys." I say jokingly and mock punch Skyla. "It wasn't _that_ big a deal." I turn back to my numbers, and read until I fall asleep.

I have a nightmare that night. I dream about the day Team Plasma took my parents. I hear their shouts of protest, feel the slap, and remember the look on my mother's face before she was hauled off. Oh, Arceus. I don't even know my parents the same way Iris doesn't know hers. What ever happens, I will make Team Plasma pay. As the dream takes over my mind again, I feel strong hands shaking me awake. I wake up and look into the face of Touya.

"What time is it?" I ask groggily.

"Six-thirty." He responds

I sit up. That's good enough for me to be awake, and the broadcast starts at seven-thirty. I have one more question though.

"Why'd you wake me?" I ask sceptically.

"You were screaming." is his simple answer.

"Oh." I reply, remembering the nightmare.

I go over to the machine, and I connect the last two wires. This baby is ready to function. At seven, everyone is promptly woken up, and all they can talk about is the machine.

"Where'd you get it?" Iris asks me, turning on the cute little ten year old charm.

Shantaul speaks up, "I know someone who owes me a few small favors."

The look on Touya's face says that he wants to ask Shantaul's definition of "small favor," but decides against it. Seven-fifteen! Better hurry.

"Brycen, do you have the flip camera I gave you?" I ask

"Yes, I have it right here." Brycen says, pulling it out of a pocket in his poncho.

"Great." Is my praise.

I pull out the correct long, black cable from god knows where, and plug the flip into it. Ten minutes left. I sift through some cables until I find the orange plug, and I drag it to the wall. I turn the dials to the Plasma Channel station and frequency. Five minutes.

"What's it do?" Skyla blurts out, asking the question no one has dared to ask yet.

I brush some cables off the start switch. Seven-twenty-nine.

"Turn the TV on to the news channel." I tell a grinning Shantaul, who obeys.

"Here's to hoping." I say, and I pull the switch.

The machine whirrs to life just as Ghestis' robotic voice begins to speak.

"Greeting citizens of Unova. I am your Sage Ghestis. We have no updates on the rebellion, but I promise, we have it all under control-" Ghestis' voice begins, but is cut off by squiggly lines. I turn the dials on my machine, amping up the power.

As I do, the TV broadcasts a picture of Iris and her Haxorus fighting a grunt. Her Pokemon is mid attack, and the picture looks really cool. Suddenly Ghestis is speaking again.

"As I was saying, I promise you we have it all under con-" Ghestis is cut off again, this time by Chili, torching an enemy and his Pokemon. I can practically feel the frustration of Team Plasma as they try to regain control of the airways. I poke my head outside, and see the people who have gathered in the square for the mandatory update in the town center gasping as the images flicker across the big screen. The pictures and Ghestis' image flash across the screen indistinguishably quickly. I amp up the power. We take control of the TV with a picture of a grunt slapping Skyla, who is handcuffed. We switch to the next picture of me freeing Skyla, and her waving to the camera. We see Shantaul beating the crap out of a grunt with her Chandelure. I amp the power up as high as I can, and we dominate the airway for the remaining fifteen minutes of the broadcast. As the broadcast ends, I hand control over to Ghestis who has just enough time to shout,

"People of Unova, this has been Ghestis," before his time is up, and the screen goes black.

I toss a blanket over the machine, and move a chair in-front of it to obscure it from view. I turn to my shocked members and say,

"That, my friends, is what that machine does. Now pack up. We're moving camp!"


	13. Chapter 12

Bianca and Cheren have left on the Pidove and everyone around me is packing up – it was Skyla's idea to move camp again, just in case Team Plasma can 'trace the Pidove' back here, I believe her exact words were.

To me, that sounds crazy. But as the leader of the rebellion, I suppose we're better safe than sorry.

"Hey, you guys," I say suddenly, which causes them all to stop what they're doing and stare at me. "Do we know exactly where we're setting up camp next?"

"Nacrene City," offers Chili. "That's where Lenora's gym used to be. We can probably hide out in the museum ruins."

"Lenora … was a gym leader?" asks Touya carefully.

"Was, is, we don't know," Shauntal shrugs. "She was very big on history though, and her husband was an archaeologist."

"Team Plasma took her husband away after they took over," adds Brycen. "But they left the museum pretty much intact, after they ransacked it for valuables. It'll be messy, but that just means no one will look for us there."

"Personally, I think it'll be kind of comforting to stay in a place that documented the long history of love between people and Pokemon," Iris chimes in.

"It sounds like a nice place," I agree. "But how exactly are we going to sneak into this museum if it's in the middle of a city?"

"Touko," Skyla says simply, "Nacrene City is basically a ghost town."

"Sweet!" exclaims Touya, but after everyone glares at him, he pulls his cap over his eyes and mutters, "Sorry. Ghost towns just sound really cool."

We all ignore him, united like a true rebellion. "Let's go," I say instead, and Chili packs up the last couple of things. We fly off.

There's something slightly creepy, but also comforting about Nacrene City. The creepy bit is probably because in the entire city, no one is around, and the entire place seems dusty and dead. But I also notice the little things – dropped toys from kids whose parents must have whisked them away as soon as possible, the **OPEN**sign in a cute little cafe I'd probably like if anyone still worked there. It sort of seems like everyone's gone on vacation and will be back soon.

And, who knows, maybe they could. Once we defeat Team Plasma, people could move here. Maybe I could get my own place right here, and still be able to hang out with Touya, Cheren and Bianca. It actually is pretty close to Nuvema Town.

"Here it is," announces Chili, pointing to a building that was probably once beautiful and eye-catching, but now decaying. "Lenora's Gym, and also the Museum."

Skyla cautiously pushes open the door, and looks extremely relieved when it doesn't fall apart on impact. We walk in on tip-toes, even though no one is close enough to hear us even if we were stomping our feet and screaming.

Brycen was right – the place was messy, but livable. It's not even as dusty as the rest of Nacrene City on the outside.

"I like it," announces Iris, plopping her sleeping bag next to what looks like a dragon Pokemon fossil.

Like a chain reaction, we all murmur in agreement and start setting up to make it feel like home. It's still different, though, probably because we're used to having a tent and being outdoors. Just in case it rains, though, it's nice to have a real roof – though Chili would argue that any second now the roof could cave in on our heads.

I line my sleeping bag up next to Skyla's and fall asleep immediately.

The next morning, over a delicious breakfast of cinnamon French toast, Brycen suggests that we explore the museum – and Lenora's gym, which is on the upper floor – along with the rest of Nacrene City. Since we can't do anything without information from Bianca and Cheren, we agree.

Shauntal and Skyla go off together, at Skyla's insistence. It seems like Shauntal has to be in Skyla's line of vision at all times, or Skyla will go berserk.

Brycen and Iris pair up and head out, and since Chili wants to stay here and 'protect' the camp, that leaves me and Touya.

Unfortunately, Touya and I haven't really had a proper discussion since he kissed me before that battle with the Team Plasma Grunts. I'm not quite sure what to say to him – it's obvious how he feels about me, so what do I say to him?

I can't remember if I kissed him back or not, and if I did, what if it was just in the heat of the moment of being kissed? I honestly don't know how I feel about Touya right now.

"Can we go upstairs?" I ask him. "I want to see what Lenora's gym looks like." Truthfully, I've been dying to know what all the Unova Gyms used to look like, especially since Chili told me how they've been modeled to take after the type the Gym leader specializes in.

"Sure," says Touya, and we walk upstairs awkwardly – first side by side, until Touya just stops and waits for me to get ahead of him. It's strange.

I'm both surprised and disappointed when the gym is just full of bookshelves. "Where did they battle?" I wonder aloud.

"Look," says Touya, causing me to turn my head towards him. He pulls on a book that's slightly sticking out on the shelf. Suddenly, a door opens way in the back of the room. "This is probably where they battle."

I run toward it, and down a short flight of stairs, followed closely by Touya. We're finally in a room that actually looks like a gym. "Wow," I breathe, staring at the floor – clean and shiny and covered in lines, with the Pokeball symbol in the middle. "It's _beautiful_."

"This must be where people were actually supposed to have battles," says Touya, but I barely hear him because I am mesmerized. "Team Plasma were such idiots to get rid of this."

"I know," I agree. "Touya … do you think maybe I could be a Gym leader after we defeat Team Plasma?"

"Touko," he says seriously, looking me in the eye and I feel my heart start racing, butterflies going crazy in my stomach. So I guess that I _do_ like him. "You can do whatever the fuck you want when we destroy Team Plasma."

"Because I led the rebellion?" I ask, confused.

"Because you have that kick-ass attitude to life. And strong Pokemon. And most importantly, you're _you_," Touya corrects me, and suddenly we're kissing again. Except I was the one leaning in, closing the space between us. Funny how that kind of stuff happens, huh?

"Sorry," I say immediately, after we break the kiss.

"Don't be sorry," replies Touya, giving me an adorable grin. "I've kind of been wanting that to happen again since our battle with Team Plasma." He fingers his Oshawott's Pokeball absentmindedly.

I lace my fingers through his and drag him out of Lenora's old gym. "Let's head back downstairs before everyone starts worrying about us."

As we make our way through the museum, I trip over a glass display case – on the floor but still perfectly intact. Because Touya and I are holding hands, he topples to the floor with me. Touya picks himself up and dusts himself off, but I stay squatting on the ground, looking intently at the display case that caused our fall.

"What's so interesting?" asks Touya. "Is there something in there?"

I see something on the inside, but all I can tell about it is that it's black. "Step back, Touya," I warn him, picking up the display case.

"Um, Touko, that's probably not the best idea," Touya starts, hastily stepping away from me, but I drop the display case to the floor anyway. It shatters loudly into a million pieces. The black thing on the inside just lands on the floor with a thud, but doesn't break.

"Hey," says Touya, rejoining me on the floor, as I gently pick up the black artifact. "We should save these glass shards. To, like, stab a Grunt in the eye with, or something."

I shoot him a look. Sure, I don't like Grunts but I don't want to _maim_ them. "Just kidding," Touya says with a smile.

I ignore him to look at the black thing again. It's a lot like a stone – smooth and round and almost perfectly oval-shaped. "What is this?"

"A stone?" guesses Touya.

"Duh," I reply, "but what the hell is it doing in a museum? It's just a stone – unless it has magical powers or something."

Touya laughs. "Yeah, I'm sure it's like a summoning stone or something, Touko. A legendary Pokemon is going to come out and crush Team Plasma for us."

"Shut up," I tell him, slipping it into the most protected pocket of my purse. "I bet it really is important. I'm keeping it."

"Museum thief," he teases me, and we head back to where Chili and the others are waiting for us, still holding hands.

"Ooh, what is this?" comments Iris, zeroing in our intertwined hands, as I expected. "Looks like the lovebirds finally got together, huh, Skyla?" She nudges the redhead ex-Gym leader.

Skyla giggles. "Totally, Iris. You two are sooooo cute together!" she squeals.

I roll my eyes at them, since Touya and I aren't even officially 'together'. I don't really have time for a relationship with a rebellion to lead, do I?

Chili's made us something simple – well, simple for Chili anyway – for lunch, grilled cheese. He passes around sandwiches for everyone and we happily dig in. "Find anything interesting while you were exploring?" he asks.

"Actually -" I start, but Iris starts talking over me.

"Look," the excited thick, purple-haired girl exclaims. "Brycen and I found _twelve_ Pokeballs outside! I think there're even Pokemon inside. Brycen says people probably dropped them for Team Plasma in their haste to get out of here."

"We thought it would be a good idea to bring them back," explains Brycen, unloading all the Pokeballs for everyone to see. "We were thinking it would be a good idea for all of us to have more than one Pokemon as back-up."

"That's an excellent idea," agrees Shauntal. "Skyla and I didn't find very much, except we realized that in a ghost town like Nacrene City, there are no places for berries and since no one lives here, no place to buy supplies. I suggest we don't stay here very long."

"Just a couple more days," Chili agrees. "The food supplies we bought that day we dyed our hair can last out that long."

"I found something in the museum," I announce, pulling the little black stone out of my purse. "Do you guys know what it is? I found it in a display case and took it."

"May we see it?" asks Shauntal, and the she and Brycen start examining it like a science project.

"Touko," says Brycen seriously, "I think this might be the Dark Stone."

"The Dark Stone? Oh my Arceus, no way!" I cry dramatically. "Um, what's the Dark Stone?"

"Legend has it that long ago there were two brothers, with one extremely powerful dragon Pokemon, and together the three of them created Unova," Shauntal launches into a story. "But the brothers sought to find two different things – one wanted truth, the other wanted ideals. So they bickered with each other endlessly, and the poor dragon Pokemon who supported and loved them both, split into two. One became the legendary Pokemon Reshirem, representing truth, and the other became the legendary Zekrom, representing ideals."

"And, um, the point of this story is ..." I trailed off, finishing up my grilled cheese.

"Zekrom and Reshiram disappeared," Iris adds on. "But supposedly there are two stones – the Light Stone, that summons Reshiram, and the Dark Stone, that summons Zekrom. But only a hero who truly seeks truth can call upon Reshiram to help them, and only a hero who believes fully in ideals can call upon Zekrom. So if that's truly the Dark Stone, Touko, than you must be the hero who can call upon Zekrom to save Unova from Team Plasma."

Shauntal looks surprised. "How do you know the legend, Iris? Aren't you a bit young?"

Iris shrugs nonchalantly. "My dad was the Dragon-type gym leader. That was pretty much my only bedtime story."

Meanwhile, all this is barely registering in my head. _This whole thing was fate, not some crazy choices made by me? I'm supposed to not just lead a rebellion, but become the _hero _who saves Unova? I get to summon – and battle – with the legendary Zekrom, who nobody still alive has ever even seen before?_!

Touya squeezes my hand. "Are you okay, Touko? That really does seem a lot to take in."

"No, I'm fine," I say a little dazedly. I smile teasingly at Touya. "Remember what you said in the museum, about the stone being able to summon a legendary that could destroy Team Plasma for us?You were kidding, but look at that. You're right."

"There's no way we can lose now!" Skyla cries happily, bouncing up and down in her chair. "We have the legendary Zekrom on our side … and our heroine, Touko!"

Chili passes out glasses of homemade pecha berry wine – I have no idea where he got the pecha berries, but it seems he made the wine while we were having a nice history lesson – and raises his glass. "To Touko, Zekrom, and most importantly – the Rebellion!"

We all cheer and raise our glasses for the toast. As the delicious pecha berry taste goes down my esophagus, I can't help thinking that now we have practically no worries at all. What Pokemon could Team Plasma possibly have that could take down Zekrom?


	14. Chapter 13

N searched desperately for something. The legend of the twin dragons had told him that the dark stone resided in the Relic Castle, but it wasn't there. If he was going so suppress this rebellion, and save his friends, he needed to find it. He would start to search in Narcerene city.

**Touko's Perspective:**

I stretched my long pale arms, my brown again hair sticking out at messy disjointed angles all over my scalp. I yawn, get up, and totter through the rubble and wreckage of the museum, to retrieve my hair brush and run it quickly through my thick curly hair. I use my only hair-tie to fix my hair in a long messy side braid.

I look at the decrepit former museum we reside in, and sigh, remembering the spot I found the Dark Stone. I feel it in my bag, the stone now weighing a thousand pounds. I pull it out of my bag, and examine it in my hands, my smooth skin feeling every bump and crease in its surface. I feel the triangular black notches in its dark onyx surface, wishing the Pokemon that resides in it to appear. What if Zekrom doesn't acknowlegde me? What if this has all been for naught? What if I'm leading everyone on a suicide mission?

"Please recognize me as a hero." I whisper to the stone.

I return the stone to its position in my bag, grab my Pokeballs, and decide to poke my head outside for fresh air. I grab my now ratty sweat shirt, and notice the numerous holes in it. The Team Plasma logo has almost faded out now, and it looks like a plain grey hoodie. It does need a patch though, so I sift through the rubble to find any kind of fabric. I find a small swatch of red and white fabric, along with some black cord. I pull a small piece of metal out of the piles of wreckage, and I file it until it's sharp. I tie the black cord to the metal, and attempt to sew a patch over my hoodie. I end up with a semi-circular red white object that kind of reminds me of a Pokeball. I se a line of black thread down the middle, and finish the resemblance. Well, it'll do. I toss my hoodie over my pajama shirt, and step outside. I immediately notice a green-haired teen peeking out from behind a tree, looking at my half open bag, the Dark Stone sticking out at the top. Oh, crap. I instantaneously identify him as N, the new king of Team Plasma. His eyes wander from my bag up the rest of my body to my face, and his appearance changes from, 'Traitor! You have something I want, and I will arrest you to get it.' to 'Wow. Pretty girl...' In a trance he walks out from behind the tree and stands in-front of me expectantly. He's probably waiting for me to bow down to him, but I just don't do those things. He walks up to me and stares at me puzzled.

"You look...different." He says, stroking my side braid. "I've only seen you in a picture you had blond hair. But you look different now."

"No shit, Sherlock." I say loudly, backing away, hoping for someone to hear me, and come back me up. Touya hears my call, and saunters out, his eyes narrow at the sight of N. "It's because I'm not a Sitrus berry blond! Wait, what do you mean you only saw me in a picture? Stalker much?"

The look on N's face says he doesn't understand anything that I've just said to him.

"Ah, leave him alone Touko. The ignoramus doesn't understand you anyway." Touya says, uncharacteristically vicious.

N's eyes narrow, and even though he can't understand what Touya said, he can tell it's not polite.

"Douche-bag," N mutters.

"Dick," Touya responds.

"Asshole," is N's retort.

"You are a bastard." Touya hisses.

N look puzzled, out of insults. He obviously didn't grow up in an environment where people dissed each other, much less him, the _king._ His eyes light up, and he replies,

"No shit, Sherlock." To Touya.

I crack up laughing. He just insulted himself! Touya spontaneously laughs too, and N just glares at Touya, looking all love-struck.

N comes over to me, and puts his hand on my bag, trying to pull out the Dark Stone. I slap his hand away, and he pulls it back quickly, rubbing the sting away.

"Tsk tsk. Did no one teach you any manners? You don't just root through someone's purse, and take what you want. You have to ask." I say sternly.

N glares at Touya and I, he's obviously never had to ask for anything before, because he says in a measured voice,

"First of all, you will address me as _king _N. Secondly, hand over the Dark Stone."

"No." I smirk.

"Look," N says, switching into hitting-on-me mode, "You're the prettiest girl I've ever seen, and it would be a shame to arrest you, however, if you'd hand me the Dark Stone, maybe I didn't see you-"

I cut him off with my retort. "You want the Dark Stone?"

He nods eagerly, and steps forwards.

"Then come and get it." I cry, plunging my hand into my bag and I pull out Servine's Pokeball. I release him, and the battle begins."

"Leaf tornado, Servine!" I cry as the attack hits home on N's Liepard, causing a one-hit Knock out. He pulls out his second of three Pokemon, and the battle really begins. N has thrown a Tornadus. I battle his Pokemon as hard as I can using my greatest attacks like Slam and Leaf Tornado, but they have very little effect. I switch to my Thundrus, and N gasps in shock as I take out his Tornadus with one blow. N throws another legendary, and this one is a Victini. Crap. Another type advantage. I keep my Thundrus battling, and I have to fight extra hard to win. Victini finally falls, and I cry out happily, praising Thundrus, before returning him to his Pokeball. Then N sighs, and looks ant me with my iron will.

"I didn't want to do this, but you leave me no choice. I will use force to obtain that stone if I must."

N charges at me, and I simply stick my fist in his stomach. He doubles over, and I toss him over my shoulder. I pull my pepper spray out of my bag, and spray him in the eyes for good measure. (My pepper spray has really come in handy.) I pull his purse, oops, _man-satchel_, off his shoulder, and pull out his Pokeballs. I let Liepard free, and put the Pokeballs for Victini and Tornadus in my bag. I also take out the ten un-used Pokeballs and toss the bag next to him.

"You didn't need those, did you?" I ask, smirking.

I whirl around and dash into the old museum, shaking my friends awake.

"Guys, we have an hours tops to get out of here before Team Plasma shows up!" I scream, snapping them all into action. They all pack up quicker than a flash, and we dash outside. I see N reaching for his radio, but I pluck it out of his hand and smash it on the floor.

"See you later, Plasma King. _Much_ later." I tell him before dashing off to join my group.


	15. Chapter 14

**TOUKO'S P.O.V.**

It was Iris' idea to head to Opelucid City, which is apparently her hometown. However, since Iris hasn't lived here since she was two, she's just as much an outsider here, especially now that Team Plasma runs the show.

For someone who hasn't been here since she was two, Iris seems to remember the city pretty well. She's already found us a hidden place on the outskirts of town to set up camp, and is currently giving us a tour. Of course, this is an Iris-fied version of a tour.

"So that's where I tripped and lost my first tooth," announces Iris, gesturing to a short flight of stairs. "And over there is where my dad and I used to people-watch."

"People-watch?" comments Skyla. "Is that, like, stalking?"

"No!" snaps Iris. "We were pretending to be spies. We'd just, you know, observe people and what they did and stuff."

"No offense, Iris," says Touya, "but that sounds like stalking."

"Oh, leave her alone," I tell them, since Iris is looking pretty riled up. I don't want them tarnishing the few memories she must have of her father. When I was little, anyone who used to talk badly about my parents after they were abducted got viciously bruised.

Returning to her bouncy self, Iris points out a charming little house in the corner of the city. "That's where me and my dad used to li -" she starts, but then stops abruptly. I notice a giant Team Plasma logo stamped onto the front door and grab her hand.

"It's okay, Iris," Chili starts consoling her, but Iris doesn't look sad. More like where's-my-giant-hammer-I-need-to-smash-something pissed off.

"How dare they!" Iris fumes. "The next time I see a Team Plasma Grunt, I swear I'll smash his head in or get Haxorus to beat him up. The _nerve_ of these people with their ridiculous hair!"

"M-maybe we should get back to your tour, Iris," suggest Brycen, looking a little weirded out.

The purple-haired girl smiles back at him. "Sure thing, Brycen." She gestures to a grand looking building practically next door to her old home. "That's my dad's gym. Before Team Plasma took over, he would always tell me that someday, it'd be _my_ gym. You know, when he retired."

"Really?" says Shauntal with interest. "I didn't know that gyms were passed down by heritage."

"Oh, no, they're not," Iris replies quickly. "It's just, my dad and I were pretty much the only real Pokemon Trainers here. I mean, I wasn't, not really, but I did play with my dad's dragon types. The Pokemon and I had a real … bond, I guess that's what you'd call it."

"Why weren't there any other trainers besides you and Drayden?" I ask.

"Opelucid City likes things old school," answers Iris, gesturing to the very charming, but truly ancient architecture and look to the city. "So basically, all the old geezers come here to live when they decide to retire from all the fun in life."

"Iris!" scolds Shauntal.

The purple-haired girl shrugs and shares a special look with Chili. They've obviously had a discussion about this before, probably when they were both on the run together before the rebellion. "Seriously, though, it's true," Iris protests. "These people are just full of political power, and stuff. You know, all persuasive and manipulative with words. One guy used to live next door to me, he was a salesman. It took him about two seconds to convince me that brushing my teeth would be so much more fun if my toothbrush was green."

"Um … okay," Skyla says slowly.

"Wait!" cries Touya. "So these old people – they're all really influential? And they keep in touch with their family in other cities?"

Iris looks confused at the questions. "Well, yeah. I'm sure they do."

Brycen seems to understand what Touya's getting at, because he starts questioning Iris, too. "And you said that they like to do things the old ways, right? So basically, they agree with people and Pokemon living in harmony, not with Team Plasma."

This time, Iris nods enthusiastically. "Oh, definitely! They used to go crazy about all the Pokemon Trainers who came here to challenge my dad's gym."

Touya and Brycen exchange a look. "Hey, Touko," says Touya slowly, not once looking away from Brycen, as though they're telepathically communicating. "We should totally make the rebellion bigger than just the people who are here right now."

"And Cheren and Bianca," I add hastily. "But totally. The rebellion should be as big as we can possibly make it."

"So what if we gave a speech?" continues Brycen. "Well, I mean, you could give the speech, Touko, seeing as you're the leader. But if you can convince all these people in Opelucid City to be on the rebellion's side, they'll get their families in other cities to join the rebellion. And soon it'll be all over Unova rather than just here."

"And it should be easy enough," adds Touya. "Considering that Iris says they prefer the days when people and Pokemon were united."

"Um," I stall. It's not like I have stage fright or anything, but what if they all disagree and report us to Team Plasma? What if they capture us and hold us captive until Team Plasma shows to throw us in jail?

"Touko," Skyla says, as though reading my thoughts, "they're a bunch of old people. Plus we have tons of strong Pokemon on our side. We can take them if anything goes wrong, for sure."

"It really is a good idea, Touko," Shauntal chimes in. "Think of how much better our chances would be if people all over Unova knew about us and were on our side. They could hide us in our houses when we switch locations and give us supplies. It's better for the rebellion, and as the leader, your main concern should be doing what's best for the rebellion."

"Oh, I see how this is going," I retort. "You're all ganging up on me and guilting me into this."

"No," Iris defends them. "They're totally right here, Touko. I promise you, nothing's going to go wrong. And you won't even have to write the speech – Shauntal and Chili can do it!"

"What?" Chili interrupts. "I understand why you'd want Shauntal to write the speech, she's all smart and bookish. But why _me_? I'm just a guy who can cook!"

"Have you ever lost an argument before, Chili?" asks Iris pointedly.

"No," replies Chili, without even stopping to think about it.

"Exactly," Iris says, rolling her eyes at him. "You've got a way with words. And it means that you're persuasive and persistent."

"Or it could just mean that I'm stubborn," mutters Chili.

"Oh, shut up," I snap at him, "at least you're not the one who has to actually go up and say the stupid speech."

Touya slips his hand through mine and gives it a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry, Touko," he says sweetly, "I'm sure you'll do great."

It actually does make me feel better for a moment, until I realize that since it was basically his idea in the first place, Touya's probably just saying that so I won't be mad at him.

Two days later, and Shauntal and Chili have finished my speech. Surprisingly, for something written so hastily and – thankfully – rather short, it's actually pretty good. Convincing and to the point, just like speeches are supposed to be.

Unfortunately, because the speech is finished, I now have to go up onstage and deliver it. Iris says it doesn't really count for much since my audience is a bunch of old people, but hello, people are people. And if I don't end up in jail for the rest of my life because of this, I'm going to tell Iris' grandchildren her theory about old people, just to watch Iris suffer later.

"And so, people of Opelucid City," I practice frantically, pacing around outside, "that is why this is wrong. People and Pokemon should have each other, they should be united, just like the old days when pretty much everyone was happy. Join the rebellion and fight Team Plasma – bring back the glory of the old days!"

"Not bad," says Touya, who's lounging around in the grass, drinking a leppa berry smoothie, one of Chili's 'specialty drinks'. "But you do know you need to have that memorized when you actually give it, right?"

"What?!" I freak, whacking Touya over the head with the speech papers. "No one informed me of that! I don't know it by heart!"

"Yeah, you do," counters Touya, rubbing the spot on his head where I hit him. "You've been practicing it forever, and I've barely seen you look at the pages. Personally, it's a bit boring to hear you repeat the same stuff and over and over, but -"

"Oh, give me that!" I huff, grabbing Touya's smoothie and stalking away with it in hand. I ignore his desperate cries of, "Hey! Touko! That was MINE! Give it back!"

Chili, Iris and Shauntal have gathered a major crowd for what they've told everyone is some kind of 'surprise guest speaker'. I assume everyone must think I'm Ghetsis – ew, people think I'm an old, hunchback, ugly GUY – from Team Plasma, about to lecture them on the evil usage of Pokemon.

"Good luck," Skyla whispers to me and before I can respond, shoves me out there, in front of all the old people.

I look at them, wide-eyed, as they stare back at me. _They don't matter, they're just old people, they don't matter, they're just old people_, I chant silently to myself. Yes, I'm taking the Iris route on things, and yes, I'm a hypocrite. Leave me alone.

"Hey," someone near the back yells, "isn't that Touko White? The rebel girl?"

"I think so!" someone shouts back in response.

Before anyone else can say anything, I interrupt. "Yes, actually, I am Touko White, 'the rebel girl', and that's actually what I'm here to talk about." Thankfully, everyone's gotten all quiet and they all seem to be intently listening to me.

"You see, I believe that people and Pokemon should have each other, they should be united, just like the old days when pretty much everyone was happy. We need to bring back the glory of the old days!" After I finish that last sentence loudly, I realize that that's supposed to be the _ending _of my speech. Oh fuck. I'm screwed.

"Team Plasma is wrong," I announce, fully improvising from here on. "And they need to go because it's rude to cram your ideals done everyone else's throats. And the only people who can make them disappear is _us_ – and we can do that by rebelling."

"We're a bunch of OLD people!" someone in the crowd shouts, but when I squint, I realize it's actually Iris, faking a deep voice. "What are we supposed to do?" It occurs to me that she's setting me up to keep my speech going, like a good friend.

"Well, rebelling isn't just about going around beating up members of Team Plasma," I explain, in honor of Touya and his plans for 'rebellion'. "It can be something simple, like taking in more outward rebels – like me – and giving us supplies and shelter. Anything at all is helpful. And for those people who are more into taking a real stand, catching and raising a Pokemon, outwardly defying Team Plasma, all of that shows how much you think it's wrong."

I have no idea where I'm going with this speech from here, or how I'm supposed to end it. I stick my hands into my pockets and feel – Pokeballs? Lots and lots of empty Pokeballs. Caught up in the moment, I grab them in handfuls and recklessly fling them into the crowd.

"Remember these?" I shout gleefully at the old people. "Do you remember when almost everyone had at least one Pokeball, and a Pokemon in it? Do you realize that Team Plasma has denied the generations of family after you the joy of having a Pokemon and bonding with it?"

I watch the crowd – most people are grabbing for Pokeballs and cheering loudly, while the minority stand there with stony expressions, refusing to so much as acknowledge the Pokeballs around them. Seeing so many people agreeing with me though, I keep going.

"These Pokeballs are empty!" I shout at the crowd. "Take them, send them to your friends and family all over! Catch a Pokemon! And most importantly, spread the word about the rebellion! DOWN WITH TEAM PLASMA!"

And then, breathing heavily, I run off the stage, into Touya's waiting arms.

"Nice speech," he smirks. "Really well planned-out."

"Shut up!" I hiss at him, before my brain turns to mush and I fall asleep in his arms.

**N'S P.O.V.**

At Team Plasma's castle, Ghetsis and I sat awkwardly facing each other in his office. I say awkwardly because I'm staring at the carpet, fidgeting, since I can feel his ice cold glare searing into my brain.

Ghetsis opens his mouth to speak, and instead just starts yelling. I wince at the incredibly loud, high-pitched sound that sounds all wrong in my ears. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, N? HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY CALL YOURSELF THE KING OF TEAM PLASMA?"

I say nothing. Better to let Ghetsis run out of steam than defend yourself and let him yell into eternity. Anyway, I have no idea what I've done wrong this time.

"LOOK AT ME!" Ghetsis roars, and I oblige, staring into his soulless gray eyes. "WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF?"

A minute of silence passes before I mumble, "Actually, I'm not quite sure what I did ..."

"YOU'RE NOT QUITE SURE?" screams Ghetsis, grabbing my shoulders and violently shaking me. "HOW COULD YOU LET THAT STUPID REBEL GIRL STEAL FROM YOU?"

"Well, you know, I don't really know exactly how it happened …" I trail off, and Ghetsis slaps me so hard the sound echoes across the room.

His voice has dropped several decibel levels. "She took two _legendary _Pokemon from you. Do you know how hard it was for Team Plasma to take those Pokemon? We entrusted them to you because as our king, we thought you were worthy. Obviously not."

"What? No!" I protest. "Just because I made one mistake -"

"She beat you, didn't she?" Ghetsis interrupts coldly. "And took your Pokemon. In about two seconds. Pathetic, N."

I open my mouth to defend myself, but I can't. Everything Ghetsis said is true and I don't know what to say. Is _but Touko's just so PRETTY! _a good enough excuse? Knowing Ghetsis, probably – okay, definitely – not.

"Get out of here," Ghetsis says dismissively. "I'm done with you. Perhaps you can redeem yourself, if we ever decide to let you do anything again."

I leave, already shamed and not willing to let myself get humiliated further. Aren't I supposed to be the king of Team Plasma? I am – I was even publicly coronated and everything! So why is Ghetsis still in charge, still able to talk that way to me, still slapping me and treating me like a child who knows nothing?

Could it be that I'm just … a puppet king?


	16. Chapter 15

I dash off, away from my group onto the road, ducking Opelucid City. I run through the trees and finally arrive at my destination, Route 14. I look for the place we camped, and I finally find it. I toss my cap on the floor, and look around. Good. No grunts watching me this time. I strip my clothes, and begin to bathe in the waterfall like we all did last time. Arceus. The tepid water feels so good on my grubby skin. It feels like ages since I've had a bath. I stick my head under the waterfall, and immediately feel swelling pressure on my scalp. I yank my head out, and scrub down. I shake dry like a Herdier, and comb my hair with my fingers. I tug my clothes on over my semi wet body, and put my cap on over my head. I hike in the shadows along the rock, but am stopped by a rouge former Ace Trainer.

"Wow! You're Touko White! Leader of the Rebellion!" He cries.

I am about to break and run when he continues,

"Can I have your autograph?"

"Sure." I tell her, searching my bag for something to write with.

"Oh, here." He says, handing me a sharpie. "You can keep it."

The Ace Trainer pulls up his shirt sleeve, and I sign 'Touko White' on his upper-arm with a flourish.

"Wow! I have to tell my friend that I met _the_ Touko White!" He exclaims.

"Please, don't. Team Plasma can't find me." I whisper.

He looks at me oddly, probably realizing that I can't just grab a newspaper.

"Trust me," he begins, "You have more supporters than you realize." Before he dashes off calling to his partner, "Stella, Stella! You'll never guess who I just met!"

I turn and dash, still hiding in the shadows when I see a sight that chills the marrow in my bones. A Team Plasma grunt, and he's staring at me. Fuck. He walks up to me, and grabs my arm.

"You, come with me, missy!" He barks.

"Hell no!" I yell, kicking him in the groin. He doubles over, and I whack him with a heavy branch lying on the floor.

He collapses on the ground, unconscious. I flip him over, grab my sharpie, doodle a mustache on him, and write on his forehead, 'Rebellion wuz here.' I pull his body erect, and cuff him to a tree using his own handcuffs. I pick the key out of his pocket, and toss it into the raging river. There we go. I skip down the path, and hurry to the Abundant Shrine. I tiptoe in, and dash up to the shrine of Landorus. I need to catch it. I attempt to summon it at its shrine by commanding,

"Landorus, appear!" Like I'd been told. In response all I heard was a very familiar laugh form a

very familiar green-haired guy.

"N." I say, turning to see him emerge from a patch of shadow.

"Looking for this?" N asks, opening a Pokeball containing Landorus.

"Damn! How many ledgendaries have you got?" I put it.

Ignoring me, N continues, "You can have it... if you give me the Dark Stone." He attempts to bargain.

A milla-second after he finishes speaking, I throw myself at him, and snatch the Pokeball.

"Where are _your_ manners?" N chides me.

"Since I was raised without _parents_, maybe I don't have any." I say, blaming N.

The grunt I tied up takes that moment to burst to the shrine.

"King N, my lord," The grunt addresses N, bowing down to him, before continuing to speak, "The girl Touko White," he says noticing me, "Oh, you found her. Well, finish her, your lordship. Look what she did to my face!"

The grunt hysterically shows N the sharpie doodles on his face, while I innocently wave. The grunt, now incensed, marches over to me, and slaps me across the face.

I wouldn't do that if I were you-" N begins, but his warning comes too late.

I have already struck the grunt back.

"Learn how to behave around your superiors girl!" The grunt hisses.

"I think I know how to behave around the sick bastards who stole my parents and my childhood from me when I was four!" I spit back.

"King N, do something about this insufferable female." The grunt whines.

N sheepishly looks down at the floor before replying, "I can't she took my only Pokemon."

"Great. Mine are gone too." The grunt whines.

"Okay, now, you all have two choices. You can leave with nothing bruised but you oversized egos, or you can leave with more–shall we say– physical markings." I threaten.

They turn and run. I hear N mummer something that sounds suspiciously like, 'Her fire. I like it.' Before dashing off with the grunt. My fire? What the hell does he mean by that?


	17. Chapter 16

**SKYLA'S P.O.V.**

I pull my hair into a ponytail as we try to casually stroll out of Nimbasa City. It doesn't work, because we're surrounded in seconds.

"GIVE US POKEMON!" the people are screaming.

"Um, you guys!" I shout over the crowd. "Give them Pokemon!"

"We don't have any to spare, Skyla!" Touya yells back.

"So what are we supposed to do? Get ripped to shreds?" I snap. I reach into my purse and feel some Pokeballs Touko left me. I grin and pull them out, handing some to Touya and Shauntal, who are nearest.

"Excellent!" yells Iris, catching on immediately. "Let's pull a Touko!" We all count to three loudly and throw all our Pokeballs at the screaming crowd.

"Run for it," Brycen cries, and we all run, screaming, out of Nimbasa City and into the woods where we've set up our camp.

"I have to admit, that's actually kind of fun," says Touya as we immediately start packing up camp to head to the next city to spread news of the rebellion.

"Yeah, if you enjoy being attacked by people acting as though they've never been raised properly," says Shauntal snippily, dusting her clothes off as if there are 'people-germs' all over them.

"Lighten, up, Shauntal," I giggle. I reach out my hand to grab hers, but suddenly something falls out of the sky and I jerk it back. It hits the ground with a loud thud.

It stands up and screams at the sky like a lunatic. "CHEREN BLUE! WHEN YOU GET YOUR FEET ON SOLID GROUND, I'M GOING TO STRANGLE YOU!"

Of course. It's Touko's friend Bianca.

"Um, hi, Bianca," says Touya nervously, as though he knows not to interrupt her when she's in a mood like this one. "How's it going?"

She whirls around to glare at him. "Oh, I don't know, Touya," Bianca says in a fake-sweet voice, as it gets louder and louder. "Maybe because Cheren just SHOVED me off the Pidove and I fell hundreds of feet through the air until I hit the ground? PAINFULLY?"

Touya raises his hands above his head in surrender just as a voice from the sky yells, "Actually, Bianca, it was more like twenty feet, not a hundred!"

"DON'T YOU STATISTICALLY CORRECT ME!" Bianca screams. "I'M JUST GOING TO MAKE YOUR DEATH ALL THE MORE PAINFUL!"

"Are you hurt, Bianca?" asks Brycen calmly. It almost seems like he's dealt with crazy, pissed off girls his whole life.

"No, I'm fine," Bianca answers, still glowering up at the sky. "CHEREN BLUE, YOU GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Cheren lands, pretty gracefully for a first-time flier, on the Pidove Touko gave them. "Bianca, listen, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to shove you off, I just wanted to try out -" he rushes the words out quickly, but the blonde still screams in anger and charges at him.

Cheren screams as he sees her coming, turns on his heels and runs around the camp, his arms flailing. Bianca chases him. It's actually really entertaining.

"Sorry," Touya apologizes to me. "They're not usually like this, I swear. That's more of something me and Touko would do."

"Don't worry about it," I tell him, gesturing to Iris, who's literally rolling around on the floor, laughing. "We seem to really enjoy it."

Finally, Cheren cowers behind Shauntal, and Brycen grabs Bianca to hold her back. "Okay, Bianca, you need to calm down," he says soothingly. "It's okay, Cheren didn't mean to." He pats her hair, which actually does seem to help.

"Can you believe him?" Bianca snaps, still glaring at Cheren. "He risked my life – he caused me to fall off that Pidove – because he wanted it to flip in the air! And he didn't even tell me so I could hold on tighter!"

"I SAID I was sorry, Bells!" Cheren shouts at her.

"Don't call me Bells, I'm mad at you!" Bianca retorts.

"Um, okay, you guys, let's just chill a little," I say, trying to keep the peace here. The last thing we need are two people in the rebellion fighting each other instead of Team Plasma.

"Don't take this the wrong way," adds Shauntal, "but why are you two here, exactly? Aren't you supposed to stay in Nuvema Town to spy?"

"We are," pants Cheren, still tired from being chased by Bianca. "I mean, we were."

"When we heard the news, we came right away," adds Bianca. "After packing provisions and stuff, I mean." She pulls a packet of pecha berries out of her purse and waves them at Touya. "Bet you Touko was pissed when you forgot these."

"Shut up," mutters Touya, determinedly staring at the ground.

"Oh, she was," remembers Iris. "But what's the news?"

"The news?" repeats Bianca, looking confused. Then a look of recognition passes over her and she exclaims, "Oh, yes! The news!"

"Team Plasma has a plan," says Cheren.

"No shit," says Chili sarcastically, having just come out from making lunch to see this spectacle.

"You didn't let me finish," Cheren retorts, shooting Chili a glare. "As I was saying, Team Plasma has a plan … to take over everywhere."

"They've already done that," says Iris.

"No, that was just Unova," Bianca explains. "Now they want to control the other regions too – Hoenn, Kanto, Sinnoh, Johto. All of them."

"They can't do that!" I exclaim angrily.

"They can and they will," Bianca replies sadly. "Unless the rebellion can stop them." She looks at us with hope in her eyes.

"Hey, where's Touko?" Cheren asks, disrupting the mood.

"She went off to capture legendaries," I say dismissively. "Oh, we should probably message her later, Brycen."

"I'll go do it now," Brycen replies. "I'll tell Touko to meet up with us at the entrance to Victory Road, okay? That way we can meet up, travel through that dangerous place together, and we should come out near Team Plasma's Castle."

"Good plan," agrees Touya, and Brycen walks away from us.

Suddenly, Bianca and Cheren's X-transceivers ring at the same time. They both glance down and then look up at us urgently. "You guys. We have to go back into Nimbasa City," says Cheren.

"Um, why?" asks Iris. "'Cause if we go, we're gonna need to take more Pokeballs."

"Yes, for the vicious Nimbasa citizens," Shauntal adds with a shudder.

"No, seriously," Bianca says. "Look at the message we just got from Ghetsis." She holds out her X-transceiver screen for us to read.

Plasma Grunts and Workers -

Stop by your local city Plasma TV and take a look. Right now. You'll enjoy what they're showing. Long live Team Plasma!

Ghetsis

"Yeah, that doesn't sound good at all," says Chili, finishing up the reading.

"Let's go watch that TV," adds Iris.

"That sounded really strange, Iris," comments Touya and Iris punches him in the arm the way Touko does sometimes.

"You know what I mean," she says, rolling her eyes like Touko. _Note to self, _I think. _Iris is spending WAAAAY too much time with Touko._

We head straight back for Nimbasa City, with me grabbing Brycen's arm and dragging him with us along the way.

**BIANCA'S P.O.V.**

We hurry along through Nimbasa City, straight for their Plasma TV. There's already a huge crowd of people, but Touya, Chili, Iris and Skyla – who are acting as though they've been raised by wolves – shove their way to the front and drag the rest of us with them.

I'm a little nervous about exactly what they're about to show on the screen. Usually when something is being broadcast, Ghetsis doesn't send out a little alert about it like he has now. This has to be something really important.

Oh, Arceus! What if they've caught Touko, wherever she's supposed to be right now? I know for sure that's something Ghetsis would want all of Unova to see, he really hates her with a passion, my best friend who leads the rebellion.

I really, really, really wish Touko was here right now, so we could laugh about Cheren pushing me off the Pidove (yes, I'd laugh about it with Touko, but I'll never forgive Cheren) and worry about this together. Plus, if she was here, I wouldn't have to worry about Team Plasma having caught Touko and broadcasting it live.

The Plasma TV flashes to life, the bright colors temporarily blinding my eyes. Once they adjust, I see Zinzolin, one of the Seven Sages along with Ghetsis, on the screen. He's smiling, which isn't a very good sign for the rebellion. It takes something really, really huge to make Zinzolin smile.

"Greetings, people of Unova," he says, and I'm shocked that his voice actually has emotion. Zinzolin usually talks in a monotone. "You may be wondered why we have gathered you here today to watch the Plasma TV."

"No, actually, I'm here because I want a croissant," mutters Chili sarcastically, on my left side. I cover my mouth with my hand to hide my smile. "No, duh, freakshow. Get on with it."

Of course, Zinzolin can't hear him so the broadcast goes on at the usual slow pace. "As some of you loyal, trusted Grunts may know, Team Plasma has some major plans for this entire planet. We have entered Sinnoh and established a database there." I feel a rush of pleasure at being called a loyal, trusted Grunt until I remember that I'm on the rebellion's side again.

He pauses as though giving people time to cheer at this news, but the crowd in Nimbasa City remains silent. It's nice to know that we have at least one whole city full of supporters.

"In Sinnoh, however, their champion defied our rules and laws," continues Zinzolin, "and refused to hand over her Pokemon. Of course, Team Plasma immediately took action for this threat and got rid of it quickly. We have captured Sinnoh's Pokemon champion, Cynthia, and are currently taking her to prison."

The screen flashes away from Zinzolin and shows a pretty, tall girl a few years older than me with crystal blue eyes and long, wavy blonde hair being held forcibly by two high-ranking Plasma Grunts on either side. To her credit, she is kicking, screaming and struggling with all her might against them.

"You can't do this!" Cynthia shouts angrily. "People and Pokemon have always been meant to be together! Just because you're all a bunch of close-minded idiots doesn't mean you have the right to make other people do this!"

Instantly, I'm reminded of Touko. I can't help but worry for my best friend's safety, all alone out there searching for legendary Pokemon, especially as one Plasma Grunt violently hits Cynthia in the head and throws her onto a Pidove.

The camera returns to Zinzolin. "That was live footage. As we speak, that Pidove is flying this Cynthia brat to our jail here in Unova. You may all go back to your business."

The crowd disperses, and we return to our camp in low spirits. "I can't believe that," Chili says, shaking his head.

"That could have been _Touko_, practically," Touya adds with so much raw emotion that I can't help but wonder if I'm missing something here. Is there something going on between Touya and Touko?

"Cynthia spoke just like her."

"You two were right," Shauntal sighs, talking about me and Cheren. "Team Plasma really is invading the other regions. And they were powerful enough to take out Sinnoh's own champion!"

"That Cynthia was really pretty," comments Cheren.

Everyone stops their packing to glare at him. "Seriously, Cheren?" asks Touya with an air of

annoyance.

"Sorry," Cheren replies, pushing his glasses up his nose and not making eye contact with any of us. I still hear him mutter, "But she was," under his breath, though, so I not-so-subtly whack him with my purse.

Skyla changes the subject, trying to keep everyone optimistic the way her personality always is. "Did you get a reply from Touko, Brycen?"

He checks his X-transceiver. "Yeah. She says she'll meet us at Victory Road. That's probably where we should head now."

"Well, I guess Cheren and I will head back on our Pidove now," I suggest, turning to give Cheren my best death glare. "And _I'll_ drive, so hopefully you'll be the one who falls off this time."

"B-Bells ..." Cheren starts, but Chili interrupts him.

"Actually, I think you two should come along with us," he says. "If Team Plasma is starting to invade other regions, than they'll probably not react kindly to any spies. So it'd be best if you all stuck with the rebellion now."

"Sure," I say cheerfully, since that's what I wanted to do all along. "But we don't have any Pokemon, so we won't be of much help."

"Oh, sure you will!" Iris replies enthusiastically. "You two can always help set up and with Chili making meals. We don't do much with Pokemon except for training and the occasional battle with Plasma Grunts."

"Oh, well, good," I answer with a forced smile, since that's not exactly what I was going for. I was kind of hinting that maybe one of them could catch me a Pokemon, the way Touko promised to after we were done spying. After all, she gave _Cheren –_ irresponsible, let's-do-a-flip-and-get-rid-of-Bianca-while-we're-still-in-the-air Cheren – the Pidove.

"C'mon," says Shauntal, since by now the camp's all packed up. "Let's head to Victory Road. It'd be better if we get there before Touko, since a group will be easier for her to spot."

And then we're flying through the air on a variety of bird Pokemon, and it occurs to me that this is probably the first _real _rebellion thing we're about to do. We're heading off to crush Team Plasma's hopes and dreams.


	18. Chapter 17

**TOUKO'S P.O.V.**

I hide behind a bush, and peer through the leaves, searching for my friends. Instead I end up staring straight into a pair of chocolate brown eyes. I'm not worried, though, I know these eyes all too well. They're Touya's.

"TOUKO!" someone screams and hugs me tightly from behind. I wriggle out of their grasp and whirl around to face them. It's Bianca – wait, what is she doing here?

"Bianca, what are you doing here?" I ask.

She pouts at me. "No hello for your oldest, best-est" - she tosses a glance at Touya - "_female_ friend?"

"Sorry," I say, purposefully omitting the 'hello'. "So, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here for the same reason you are," Bianca huffs. "So's Cheren. We're not spies anymore because Chili says it's not safe. So now we're officially part of the rebellion."

"Oh … fun," I say distractedly, searching for Cheren. I see him trying to help Chili with lunch, spilling precious food supplies everywhere. Chili's face is turning red, as though he's holding back the urge to explode.

"You don't sound very excited," Bianca says with a frown.

"No, I am," I reply hastily, and then yell, "HEY, CHEREN! COME HERE FOR A SEC!" so that Chili doesn't have a breakdown.

Cheren jogs over and gives me a quick hug. "Hey, Touko."

"Hi," I say and then we just stand there awkwardly.

"So ..." says Cheren.

"So..." I echo.

"What did you want?" he asks.

"What? Who said I want anything?" I demand.

"Well, you called me over here," Cheren points out.

"Oh, did I?" I ask, pretending to space out. "Sorry about that. Go hang with Iris or something." I wave my hand dismissively. Cheren gives me an odd look before walking away to join Iris and Skyla, who are giggling about something obsessively.

The two girls steal a glance at me, and then Touya, who's come around from the side of the bush to stand by my side. They burst into another round of spastic giggles, until Iris catches her breath and shouts, "Hey, Bianca! Come over here and give the lovebirds some space!"

"What?" Bianca says, confused. She casts a glance at the only two people around her – me and Touya. A look of understanding passes over her. "Ohhhhhh … 'kay, I'm coming!" She shoots me a knowing smile and flounces off to sit with Iris and Skyla.

I act as though I have no idea what they're talking about, but I do feel grateful that I'm finally alone with Touya again. It's only been a couple of days since I went off to catch Landorus, but it feels like _ages_.

"Hey," says Touya, staring at me with a hint of a smile on his face.

I'm not sure how to respond, so I go with the sweet-girlfriend act, since that's kind of what I want to be. "I missed you."

"Yeah?" he says, playing around with his hat. "I missed you, too."

"Good," I say firmly and he laughs.

"Did you catch that legendary Pokemon, then?"

"Yup," I tell him proudly, pulling Landorus' Pokeball out of my purse to show him. "Though I can't say it was much of a _catch_."

"What do you mean?" asks Touya. "it wasn't much of a challenge?"

"Barely," I reply. "I kind of ended up stealing him."

"What?!" Touya cries, freaking out. "From who?"

"N," I answer triumphantly. "He happened to be there."

"Okaaaay," Touya replies, trailing off and then we stand there as awkwardly as I had with Cheren just moments ago, except me and Touya are holding hands.

Suddenly, Iris' voice floats out from the bushes. "Oh, quit the chitchat! Just kiss already!"

"Yeah!" Skyla's voice adds from up in a tree. "We're SOOOOO bored!"

"Have they kissed before?" inquires Bianca's voice, from behind the tree.

"Like, twice," answers Iris' voice. "But there might have been others that Skyla and I missed."

"Not fair!" whines Bianca's voice. "I missed all that? Touko, you and Touya absolutely have to kiss right now!"

"Shut up!" I yell at them. "Touya and I aren't toys. You can't just control our relationship by telling us what to do and when to do it."

"So you admit you two have a relationship, then?" Skyla's voice teases.

"Don't make me send Landorus out on you," I threaten them, admitting nothing. "I've been dying for a chance to see what he can do before I unleash him on Team Plasma."

Screaming – but more in laughter than fear – the three of them run out of their hiding places and back to the 'safety' of the camp, right in front of Victory Road's entrance.

"So, this is it, then?" Touya says, gesturing to the cave entrance. "The real challenge for the rebellion is about to start, isn't it?"

"Pretty much," I reply, trying to act as though I'm not the slightest bit nervous.

"I know you're scared," Touya teases me, putting his arm around me. "But don't worry. You have us to back you up."

"Yeah, three immature girls, one talented chef, a techie, and TWO bookworms," I reply with an eye roll.

Touya scrunches up his face trying to figure out who he is on that list. "Hey! I'm not a bookworm, am I? Oh no, I'm a bookworm!"

"No," I laugh at him. "Cheren and Shauntal are the bookworms. You're … not on the list."

"Why not?" Touya demands.

"Because you're you," I answer, even though it's not really much of an answer. "C'mon, let's go eat with everyone else. The sooner we can get into Victory Road, the sooner we can get _out_ of Victory Road."

We walk towards everyone else, my arm around Touya's neck and his arm around my waist. I have to admit, this feels kind of nice.

We finish up the last bit (or in my case, fifth piece) of pecha berry pie – apparently, Bianca brought a pack of pecha berries with her when she and Cheren joined up with us and Chili made it into a pie for me as a "Welcome Back" dinner – and Iris yawns.

"Do we really have to go into Victory Road now?" she asks with a sleepy expression on her face. "I'm so tired."

"Me too," Skyla agrees immediately, and my bullshit radar starts tingling. Are they trying to set up something here? "We should spend the night right here and go into Victory Road tomorrow."

"It gets so cold at night up here, though," complains Bianca. Okay, so maybe they're not planning something, otherwise Bells would be on their side.

"It's okay," Skyla replies, shooting Touya a suggestive look. "We have spare blankets."

Touya turns bright red and I am left utterly confused. "No, actually, I think we should go," he stutters out.

"I agree," I, well, agree. "We can't waste any more time if what Bianca and Cheren have told us is true. And obviously, it is. So we have to go into Victory Road right now."

Bianca, Iris and Skyla – so they WERE planning something! My bullshit radar is never wrong – sigh collectively, but gather up their things.

We walk into Victory Road and are immediately surrounded by black.

"It's dark in here," comments Iris.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Chili says sarcastically.

"Don't worry," Brycen says, pulling about fifteen mining hats with the cute little flashlights out of his satchel. "Everyone can have one of these."

We all take one and put them on, switching the flashlight on as well. The cave is suddenly much better illuminated.

"Well, I guess this isn't so bad," Bianca says cheerfully. "I thought it'd be all dark and smelly and full of scary stuff, you know? But this is actually oka-" Before she can finish, something seems to scream in the cave, off to the left and Bianca screams as well.

"OhmyArceus, ohmyArceus, ohmyArceus," she hyperventilates. "Get me out of this cave!" She turns as if to run off back to the entrance, but I grab her arm.

"Bianca, no!" I scold her, even though that scream scared the fuck out of me as well. "We have to do this."

Unfortunately, another scream comes out, this time from the right side. Bianca grabs onto Chili and holds on as if for dear life.

Before anyone can say anything comforting, yet ANOTHER scream comes out this time from directly in front of us.

"What the fuck?" demands Chili. "How can it be in all these places so quickly?"

"Well, maybe," Shauntal says quietly, "there isn't just one of these, er, screaming things. Maybe there are three."

"In this one cave?" Touya groans. "That is _so_ just our luck."

"Wait, you guys," I reply, an idea forming in my mind. "These … screaming things … have to be Pokemon, right? And they must be pretty powerful."

"Thanks, Touko, for reminding us," snaps Chili. "Freak everyone out some more, why don't you?"

"Shut up, I wasn't done," I retort. "As I was saying, I think we should split up and find these Pokemon. And then catch them. Then we'll have _three _more awesome Pokemon to take on Team Plasma with."

"That's a great idea," Cheren agrees, "but are we strong enough to catch Pokemon as powerful as these seem to be?"

"Of course we are!" Iris replies cheerfully. "I'll go catch one if you want, Touko."

"Me, too," adds Skyla.

"And I'll go for the last one," Shauntal volunteers.

I'm a little disappointed because I wanted to catch one of them for myself. But I guess since I caught Landorus, it's only fair that everyone else get a turn. "Okay. You guys keep your X-transceivers on so we can communicate and find each other later."

"Wait, what will the rest of us do?" Bianca demands. "I'm suggesting getting the hell out of this cave until it's safe!"

"No, Bianca, we're not going to ditch our friends," Touya replies. "We'll wait right here, or maybe try to navigate our way to the end of this cave."

"Okay," Bianca says reluctantly, "but if anything tries to attack us, I get eaten last."

No one is quite sure how to respond to that, so we just nod our heads like it's normal and watch Skyla, Shauntal and Iris split off from us and depart in separate ways.

**SKYLA'S P.O.V.**

So here I am in a cave, searching for a Pokemon that I don't even know what it looks like. However, I did volunteer for this so I guess I can't really complain. And it's not as though I'm not well prepared – Chili stocked me up with snacks, just in case, and I've got my Pokemon, a variety of Pokeballs, plus one of Brycen's miner hats.

Still, though, Victory Road is a little creepy to navigate alone. I wish Caitlin was here – she was part of the Elite Four, so of course she knew Victory Road like the back of her hand. So does Shauntal, but she's off on her own somewhere else, looking for a different Pokemon.

I'm too busy thinking to pay attention, and almost fall down a steep, crudely built staircase that leads me one floor down in the cave. Nervously, I descend, since I've never actually been here before and I have no idea what could be waiting for me down there.

Thankfully – or maybe not, depending on how you think about it – I'm all alone down here as well. I'm starting to regret volunteering for this because I'm hearing the sound of dripping water. What if this place floods? Or what if there's a giant river blocking the way somehow? I love the rebellion and Pokemon and all, but no way am I swimming across a river in this outfit!

Cautiously, I keep my same pace, walking with my head down so that the light from my mining hat shines on the floor. That way, I'll see any puddles or anything like that _before_ I step in them. So far there's been no sign of water.

Of course, it seems like fate hears my thoughts and goes _Well, better change that! _and causes me to trip and fall into a huge puddle, that kind of seems bottomless. _Oh, hell no! There is no way I'm gonna die by drowning in a freaking PUDDLE!_ I think, but since all I can do is flail around in it desperately, I figure I'm just going to have to accept my fate.

"I'M SORRY, REBELLION! I'VE FAILED YOU!" I shout dramatically, but the scream is drowned out by one of those loud screeches before. "Oh, wonderful," I mutter sarcastically, "now I get to be eaten instead of drowned."

Something charges towards me – I can hear it's loud, thundering footsteps approaching faster and faster – and I flail harder in the puddle, though it does nothing but make me tired faster. Suddenly, the footsteps stop and I lift my head to shine the mining light directly on the Pokemon.

It's giant. Like seriously, even bigger than my Uncle Danny, who's like ten feet tall and wider than a truck. The Pokemon is so tall that the puddle water, which is currently in the process of drowning me, doesn't even reach up to its knees. I will never get over how big this Pokemon is for as long as I live – which, actually, may not be all that long considering it's probably about to kill me.

The Pokemon kind of resembles a Stantler, except it's much, much bigger and a beautiful aqua shade of blue. Kind of like the color of my eyes, and also the adorable crop top I happen to be wearing. Not that that's important.

Anyway, I can't look away from those bright yellow horns right on top of his head. They could probably spear right through me if he charged at me. I force myself to look the Pokemon in the eye and be friendly.

"Hi, Pokemon," I say, acting cheerful and giving it a big smile, "I'm Skyla. Aren't you adorable?" Even though he's actually more intimidating than adorable and I'm scared out of my wits. Oh, and Pokemon don't really speak English.

It doesn't say anything, just stares straight into my eyes, unblinking. And then suddenly it's lunging at me and I'm screaming and I'm _in its mouth _but then just as quickly, I'm out of there and on its back.

"Did you just … save me from that demon puddle?" I say slowly, finally understanding. Then I pat the Pokemon on his furry blue head and go, "Aren't you the sweetest? Thank you for saving me! You're not half as scary as you look, are you? Just misunderstood."

It walks through the puddle and gently deposits me on dry ground. Shakily, I pull out a Pokeball and hold it towards him. I'm not really sure if that's what he wants, but he's made it pretty obvious that he's friendly. Or at least he likes me.

The Pokemon cocks his head to the left, staring at me. Then it makes a motion as though it's nodding its head, and I reach for my Pokeball. Then I stop and pull out my X-transceiver instead, opening up the Pokedex part of it and scanning in the blue giant in front of me.

Words immediately pop up onto the screen that I have to struggle to read. The gist of it is that this Pokemon is a legendary, called Cobalion, it's type being fighting and steel. His nature is to be calm and gentle, but also powerful. My kind of guy.

I pop open the Pokeball. The giant blue Pokemon disappears inside it and I snap it shut. "Welcome to the rebellion, Cobalion," I say in terms of greeting, and then tuck the Pokeball safely into my purse.

Then I switch on the X-transceiver so I can talk to Brycen. My mission has been accomplished (yes, I've always wanted to say that) and I need to know where they are so I can head back. As it rings, I walk briskly, retracing my steps.

**IRIS' P.O.V.**

There's something about this Victory Road that makes me feel all happy on the inside. I don't know why Bianca feels the need to hate on it so much – so what if it's dark and kind of gloomy? It's quiet and peaceful and I know for sure all the Plasma Grunts are such scaredy cats they'll never come here.

I start humming my favorite song in the whole world as I walk, keeping an eye out for the Pokemon I'm supposed to be catching, though that's kind of a hard task since I have no idea at all about what it looks like.

"_I wanna be the very best_

_Like no one ever was_

_To catch them is my real test_

_To train them is my cause_

_I will travel across the land_

_Searching far and wide_

_Each Pokemon to understand _

_The power that's inside!"_

Hey, that actually works pretty well with my current situation. I'm sort of traveling across the land (okay, cave) to search for a Pokemon. I so knew this was a good song to sing. Just as I'm about to launch into the chorus, I hear a scream not unlike the one that first scared Bianca.

"Hello?" I yell out. "Is that you, Pokemon?"

There's no answer. "I'm friendly, you know!" I shout for the Pokemon's benefit. "My name is Iris! That's I-R-I-S. Iris. Say it with me now, Ir-" I get cut off by the Pokemon appearing in front of me like magic.

"Oh, um, hi," I stutter, amazed at how cute it is. It kind of looks like a large antelope, though it's a beautiful shade of green. "I'm, well, Iris."

It glares at me. "I'm friendly," I repeat, not really enjoying the hostile looks. What is up with this? Pokemon usually love me!

It snorts disbelievingly. "Hey," I state defensively, "I really am." An idea crosses my mind. "Look, if you seem to understand English as well as I think you do, I'm gonna sing a song, okay? I wrote it myself with my dad."

It cocks its head to the right and looks at me inquisitively. Thankfully, its lost the hateful glare. I start to sing the next part of _Gotta Catch 'Em All._

_"__Every challenge along the way_

_With courage, I will face_

_I will battle everyday_

_To claim my rightful place_

_Come with me, the time is right_

_There's no better team_

_Arm and arm, we'll win the fight_

_It's always been our dream"_

The Pokemon is still looking at me skeptically. "Oh, come on, Pokemon," I beg, "be a little more trusting. Live your life. We'll have fun together. My Haxorus loves me, why don't you talk to him or something? Bet he could convince you."

The Pokemon's eyes widen, but it doesn't make any movement. Suddenly, I feel kind of guilty for only calling it 'Pokemon'. I pull out my X-transceiver and open up the Pokedex part of it. I scan in the Pokemon in front of me.

A lot of words come up, but I only skim them, since I'm not big on reading. It's name is Virizion, which is really pretty sounding, and it's type is grass and fighting. "Oh," I say out loud as I read the part where it claims that because Virizion has seen Pokemon being mistreated, it doesn't really like people.

"Hey, Virizion," I say gently, and it looks directly into my eyes. "I wouldn't like people either, if I'd seen what you have. But I promise you, not everyone is like that. I'm one of those people who are different. And you must have sensed that, right, since you haven't killed me yet? Here, listen to the rest of my song."

I continue with the chorus.

_"__Pokemon!_

_Gotta catch 'em all_

_It's you and me_

_I know it's my destiny_

_Pokemon!_

_Gotta catch 'em all_

_Oh, you're my best friend_

_In a world we must defend"_

I look at Virizion hopefully, and it actually seems to have a smile on its face. Encouraged, I keep singing – and Virizion starts bobbing his head along to the lyrics! I laugh and grin at him, and finish up the song.

_"__Pokemon!_

_A heart so true_

_Our courage will pull us through_

_You teach me and I'll teach you_

_Pokemon!"_

As I finish, I pull out a Pokeball and hold it up for Virizion to see. I don't want it to think I've tricked it and now am ambushing it.

It gives me a nod, so I click open the Pokeball and it disappears into it. Then I turn on my X-transceiver and get directions from Brycen to get back to the rest of the group.

**SHAUNTAL'S P.O.V.**

Personally, I love Victory Road. It's quiet and dark and beautiful, and there's something about walking down the same path that thousands of other trainers have once walked, all with the same goal in mind. To challenge – and hopefully defeat – the Elite Four.

I enjoyed it so much, being part of the Elite Four. Of course, I was the strongest so pretty much no one could beat me. But still, seeing such determined trainers with their hardworking, loving Pokemon and watching them battle and strengthen that bond … there is no other feeling like it. And I've missed it terribly these last seven years.

I keep walking, not sure what Pokemon I'm looking for. I keep a tight grip on my Pokeballs, both empty and with my powerful Pokemon in them. I feel as though I've been walking for days – though I'm sure it's only been one or two hours – when I notice a little opening off on the side of the wall. It looks exactly like the entrance we used to come into Victory Road, but there's no possible way this is the same entrance.

Especially since I, as did every member of the Elite Four, know Victory Road better than anyone. How could none of us know of the existence of this little side room? Curiously, I slip in through the entrance and find myself in a spacious room with high ceilings.

Right smack in the middle lies a … large lump. I walk over tentatively and give it a slight poke. It makes a large grunting noise and shifts over, and I can see its face and features much better now. I let out a gasp – this is the legendary Pokemon Terrakion! Grimsley, another member of the Elite Four, and I had had so many discussions about whether it really resided here … and apparently, it had.

Suddenly, Terrakion lets out a piercing scream in its sleep and I jump backward. I could easily catch it now, while its asleep, but somehow that seems wrong. Like a low-down, cowardly thing that Team Plasma might do.

So I poke it again harder. "Terrakion!" I exclaim.

It ignores me, the big bear-like figure turning away from me now. I feel as though I'm some kind of mosquito to the legendary. "Terrakion!" I repeat, louder.

Finally, it opens up it's large brown eyes to stare at me menacingly. "Sorry about waking you up," I apologize quickly. "My name is Shauntal. Very nice to meet you."

I'm grateful no one else is around to witness this. Here I am, talking to a Pokemon like it will understand what I'm talking about and even respond to me.

It stands up shakily and towers over me. I gulp. "So, Terrakion. I understand that you are a very powerful Pokemon. And I need your help."

It narrows its eyes at me as though it would never dream of helping me do anything. "Please listen," I say to it, remembering how much Terrakion doesn't like humans. It, along with its counterparts Cobalion and Virizion, think that all people are like Team Plasma and mistreat Pokemon. I launch into a very long, detailed explanation about the rebellion, starting from the very beginning as I know it.

To its credit, Terrakion doesn't look bored or go back to sleep. In fact, it seems sort of intrigued. When I finally finish by explaining Touko's plan to destroy Team Plasma once and for all, Terrakion lets out an extremely loud roar I'm sure all the others can hear from wherever they are in Victory Road.

I get up the courage to pull out an empty Pokeball and gesture to it carefully. "So, would you mind helping us out?" I ask it. "Please? We need your power to defeat Team Plasma and reunite humans and Pokemon."

It looks at me and nods immediately. With relief, I open the Pokeball and watch Terrakion disappear into it.

I click on my X-transceiver and message Brycen. "Where are you?" I ask. "I've got the Pokemon. Let's get out of here."

I meet up with the rest of the rebellion, along with Iris and Skyla who seem to have gotten back before me, very close to the exit of Victory Road.

"So, what Pokemon did you catch?" Touko asks eagerly. "Skyla and Iris have Cobalion and Virizion, and they're legendaries."

My eyes widen. "That's amazing! I thought Terrakion was the only legendary who lived in Victory Road!"

"Does that mean you caught Terrakion?" asks Brycen, looking extremely impressed. I nod. "Good job, all three of you," he says.

"Yes, yes, this is great and all," Bianca interrupts the little self-congratulatory party. "But can we please get out of here? Victory Road gives me the creeps."

"I know the way by heart," I offer. "Follow me." I lead them easily straight to the exit of Victory Road and we enter the beautiful sunlight. Sure, I like Victory Road a lot, but that doesn't mean I want to spend my life in the cave.

"Okay!" Touko cries out cheerfully. "Who's ready to destroy Team Plasma?"

We all throw our hands up in the air and cheer in response. I feel for Terrakion's Pokeball in my pocket and smile genuinely up at the sky.


	19. Chapter 18

We walk up to the ruins of a large building, everything black and burnt except for a golden statue in the plaza. I notice tears in Shauntal's violet eyes.

"This was the Elite Four building where I was almost burnt alive," She says, eyes moist with tears, "Let me show you around." She says softly.

We, not wanting to make her burst into tears, consent and she shows us around. She leads us to a charred staircase that presumably was made out of marble, before telling us about the building.

"This was Marshall's staircase. The challengers who came here used to have to defeat us four before challenging the champion. The one on the far left was my room, then over here next to Marshall's was Caitlin's, and here was-" Shauntal begins, before she is cut of by a round of tears, "Grimsley's room. I remember when Team Plasma set this place on fire, I was trapped in my room. Grimsley came to help free me, and when we were halfway down the stairwell, he pushes me into a hole in the wall and yell 'Go, run. I need to make sure the others are safe.' Those were the last words I heard him say. Caitlin and Marshall came out, but I didn't see Grimsley emerge. I don't know what happened." She burst out, before she begins to sob too hard to speak. "He could be dead, and I wouldn't even know."

I crack my knuckles, and grit my teeth in frustration. How many innocent people were slaughtered in the vile name of Team Plasma. How many more will have to die to win us our freedom? Skyla pats Shauntal on her back, and cradles her in her arms whispering,

"Shh. Shh. It's gonna be all right baby. Everything's going to be okay."

"Well," Shauntal begins, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand, "The castle surrounds the Pokemon League, so we have to get there first, and I can let us in." She walks up to the statue, and gasps in horror.

There, on the pedestal of the statue, is the Team Plasma crest. Shauntal goes berserk, trying to rip it off, and then, when that fails, smashing it in with a stone. She dents the base of the statue terribly, and is murmuring the whole time

"Get Team Plasma out of this place," until the base is dented, and the logo so disfigured, it's illegible.

She then pulls us all onto the circular plot of land around the statue, whispers something inaudible to it, and it creaks, and descends through the floor. I scream, and Skyla grabs my hands.

"Touko what happened?" She asks, concerned.

"Fear of hights." I mutter, shutting my eyes the whole descent.

We arrive in a vast chamber with a set of steps. We climb it, and then must climb another set. We crawl into a line of bushes and sneak up in the brush by the Team Plasma Castle.

"Kay, what now?" Touya asks me as we army crawl through a large unruly bush.

"I dunno, I thought you were planning!" I hiss, and then wince.

My long curly mane is poking out of my cap, and just broke a twig. There are twigs and leaves wrapped in its numerous folds. Crap. That's going to take some serious brushing to get out. We belly crawl through the bush, and I hear Bianca complaining about her hair as well.

"Shh! Bianca!" I hiss. "If I can hear you, the grunts can hear you too."

We reach the edge of the bushes, and they open into a tiny marble platform that two aggressive-looking grunts are guarding. We hide under the fringe of the undergrowth, and we plan what to do.

"I think we should mug the grunts." Shantaul suggests.

"Ooh! Yes!" Skyla agrees. "I have a tree branch."

"I have some glass shards." Touya chimes in, opening his bag.

"No, Touya. No maiming!" I shout.

I see the grunt nearest too us turn. Fuck!  
"Who's there?" He asks, striding towards us.

"You know what? You may need to use those." I tell him, before pulling my hair free and grabbing my pepper spray.

The grunt reaches the bush, and parts it, seeing me. As he does that, I let loose my pepper spray. "Take that you thieving assholes!" I shout.

I jump out of the bush, and dash to the castle door. I see Touya and Shantaul taking care of the other grunt. The grunt tries to punch Shantaul, who ducks, and Touya stabs him in the thigh. The grunt pulls out the glass, and blood pours from the wound. It gushes all over Shantaul, who screeches louder than I thought possible, and begins to cry.

"Fuck. Fuck. Get it off of me. Get it off!" Shantaul screams in a abnormally high pitched voice.

"What's wrong with her?" I ask Skyla.

"Shantaul has a phobia of blood." Skyla cries, running over.

Skyla attempts to wipe the blood off Shantaul using her shirt as a sponge. The result is that they are both covered in blood, and Shantaul begins to hyperventilate. I walk over to the unconscious grunt, turn him face up with my boot. I notice the not-so-small wound in his leg. I turn towards Touya, and tell him,

"See? Touya? This is why I said no maiming. He's probably going to die now. That is on you." I tell him.

"Why don't we just drag him into the castle?" Touya asks.

I do a facepalm. "Touya what do you think the Team Plasma people are going to think if they see us with a bloody passed-out man?" I ask him in a measured tone.

"What do you think they're gonna think when they see Skyla and Shauntal with blood on them, and a dead man outside?" He returns.

"Touche." I tell him. "Okay, guys, grab the man and bring him into the door of the castle. That's all we can do. Shauntal, don't touch anything," I tell everyone before I turn to Skyla and inquire, "How long before her panic attack stops?"

"I dunno. I've never seen her have one before." Is Skyla's reply.

"Great. Super helpful." I remark sarcastically before going over to Shauntal. "Honey," I ask, "Lets go now."

Shauntal, purple eyes closed, is hyperventilating so loudly I can hardly make out her answer of, "Won't move."

I pick her up in my arms, bridal style, getting covered in thick, wet blood as well, and realize that this isn't going to work. I set Shauntal back down, and Touya come over to ask me the most stupid question I've ever heard.

"Does she need an Epipen?"

"No, you idiot." I tell him. "You have a water type right?"

"Yeah." is his response.

"Then tell your Pokemon to wash her off!" I cry.

Touya pulls Samurott's Pokeball out, and he uses Surf to clean Shauntal, who now clean, ceases to hyperventilate, and acts like nothing just happened. I turn her around, keeping her face away from the dead man and us, and lead her into the castle.


	20. Chapter 19

**Touko's P.O.V.**

We walk into the castle, and I feel like cheering. We take another step, and then one more, and suddenly an iron gate slams down behind us.

"Fuck!" I scream. "Everybody run!"

We toss the dying man down by the gate, but Shauntal sees him first. She freezes up, and goes into break-down mode. Unfortunately for her, break-down mode consists of her curling up in a little ball on the floor, and digging her hands into the carpet so none of us can pick her up.

"Shauntal!" Skyla cries, "There are grunts coming. You have to run."

Shauntal either doesn't hear Skyla, or just chooses to ignore her muttering,

"Blood...blood...blood." into the floor.

I see the silver of their uniforms first, and I grab Skyla's arm jerking her away from Shauntal. She goes back towards Shauntal, but I pull her back, and yell into her face,

"It's her, or both of you. I love you both, and 'leave no man behind,' but if she doesn't run, I'm not losing you too."

Skyla seems to get this, and whispers

"I'm so sorry." to Shauntal before bolting away in different directions like the rest of us.

**Shauntal's P.O.V.**

Well, after my fellow rebels left me off there in the carpet, and said grunts were coming, all I am still thinking is,

"HOLY FUCKING ARCEUS! GET THIS BLOOD AWAY FROM ME!"

I hear footsteps on the carpet my fingers have bored though, and I hear the squishing of feet cease next to me. I feel on of the grunts kick me in the side knocking the wind out of me before telling me in a monotone,

"You're under arrest sweet-heart. Put your hands behind your back."

I would fight or run, but I'm too paralyzed by my fear of blood to even more. I stay in the fetal position, gripping the carpet until they wrap their hands around me, trying to pull me up to no avail. My fingers have dug ten little holes in the carpet- thank Arceus for wall-to-wall carpeting- and they can't pry me loose. Confident I won't be going anywhere, the two grunts leave to go find back up. In one minute they return, and just my luck! They return with their pervy Plasma King, N. He leans down next to me, and asks me seriously,

"Are you okay ma'am?"

I would like to shout 'No, what the fuck do you think, genius? I'm curled in the fetal position in your carpet. Of course I'm not okay, but all I can do is mumble the word 'blood' into the carpet.

"Ma'am," he recites, probably having stolen his speech straight from a medical book, "Can I help you? Are you having an allergic reaction? Do you need an epipen?" I hear him gasp before he turns to his lackeys and continues speaking. "She needs an epipen. Get an epipen _now_!"

Why does everyone think I need an epipen? Is it really that bad? Okay, fine. Maybe it is. N looks me over once more before turning to a grunt and saying,

"No, find your friend. The girl is just having a panic attack. An epipen won't help with that."

Just a panic attack?! I have a fucking phobia of blood! Why is no one seeing the dead body? N whispers to me softly while trying to unhook me from the carpet, but it doesn't work.

"Grunt," N begins, "I don't care about Sage Ghestis' opinion, get me a knife. Quickly."

Oh fuck. I am so dead. He is going to stab me, and there will be blood everywhere, and gah! I still can't make myself move though. I hear the grunt with the knife return, and I brace myself for the worst, but I hear N cutting into the carpet. He must cut around my body, because he lifts me into his strong well muscled arms carpet and all. He carries me to a room, and lays me down on a bed. He flips me sideways so that the carpet underneath me is sticking out towards him. He begins to speak to me in soft tones.

"Shh. Shh. It's going to be all right. There's no blood. But you have to let go of the carpet. Your nails are digging into your palms so hard that there might be blood soon."

I moan, but don't let go. N rubs my fingers until I open them, and he pulls my fingers out of the carpet. He takes both of my hands, and holds them, leading me into the basement where the dungeons are. Before he pushes me into a cell, he tells me,

"Ms. Shauntal, you are under arrest."

I am just thinking about how this sucks, and how I hope we get free soon, when I hear a voice cry out,

"Shauntal. My Arceus! You're alive!"

I wheel around and see a battered much worse-for-the-ware Elesa in my cell.

"Elesa!" I say, and notice trays in the cell.

I must have missed lunch.

"Elesa, don't you worry. Touko and everyone are going to break us out of here. We'll be okay soon. There's a rebellion going on, and they're here in the castle, and we'll be free soon." I tell her in a rush.

"For real?" I hear a small timid voice say.

"Caitlin!" I cry, and we reach through the bars separating our adjacent cells. "Yes. It's true!"

"OH MY ARCEUS! I'VE PRAYED EVERY DAY FOR THIS." Elesa screams.

"I can't take another day of this system." Elesa says before breaking down in tears.

"What system?" I ask.

"We're all prostitutes in this Arceus forsaken place." Caitlin whispers to me. "Team Plasma forces us to have sex with them."

My eyes widen in horror at this statement.

"Well, this will all be over soon." I promise them. "We will end this nightmare."

**Bianca's P.O.V.**

I grab Iris, and pull her down a different hallway. Touko's orders had been clear. 'We split up in different directions to cover as much ground as possible, but I am not letting Iris out of my sight. I pull Iris into a room, and lock the door behind us. What luck! Not only is the room empty, but me being a techie, i've found the media room. I flip on the large machine, and tell Iris to guard the door. She nods and takes up her position, while I flip switches and turn dials. Soon I am broadcasting live to Unova.

"Citizens of Unova, this is Bianca Green bringing you live coverage of the rebellion."


	21. Chapter 20

I walk quietly through the hallway of Team Plasma's Castle, both awed and disgusted by how beautiful it is. They have people working so hard they're practically skeletons at the stupid factories, and here everyone is all fat and lazy! It's injustice.

Suddenly, as I pass a wooden door, something grabs my hand and whirls me around. I find myself face to face with – shudder – N.

"Hey, beautiful," he greets me with a smirk, as his face inches closer and closer to mine. I do NOT like where this is going. As he leans forward, I tilt myself backward so my face stays away from his and scramble in my purse for a Pokeball. I grab the first one I find and click it open between me and N.

My Tympole pops out and – it's ridiculously hard for me to keep from laughing – N ends up kissing it instead. To Tympole's credit, it looks just as disgusted as N does.

"_Why_ did you do that?" he splutters, wiping his mouth repeatedly.

"Don't ever try that again," I warn him, kneeing him in the stomach, flipping him around and grabbing his hands with one of mine. Then I open the door that's right next to me – it's filled with coats and mothballs, so I'm assuming it's a closet – and shove N inside.

I lock the door and return to Tympole to its Pokeball with a quick thank you.

"Guess I'll see you later, Plasma King … or not." Flipping my long brown hair over my shoulder, I continue down the hallway as though nothing has happened.

Of course, I barely get two steps before three barely-visible guys show up and surround me so I can't move. They kind of look like ghosts, but unlike PROPER ghosts, I can't walk right through them.

"Well, you aren't supposed to be here," one of them says.

"So kindly move along and then I'll go," I reply.

"Laugh," says one and I give it a _WTF_ look. "We can't actually laugh," he explains. "So that's what we do when something's funny."

"Okay, freak-shows, who the fuck are you?" I demand.

"The Shadow Triad," they say together. "And we aren't freak-shows, we're special," adds the one on my left.

"Okay, you're special freaks," I agree. "Now give me some room to walk, would you?"

Before they can say anything, N, who seems to have the world's worst timing, starts banging on the closet door. "Touko!" his muffled voice yells out. "I know you're there! Let me out!"

"What was that?" the Shadow Triad member in front of me asks, giving me a suspicious look.

"Nothing ..." I lie.

"Oh please, we're not stupid. We aren't going to believe you," snorts the Shadow Triad on my right. "So, what was that?"

I get on the defensive. "How the hell should I know? You three are the ones who live in this castle, not me!" Then I pull out my pepper spray and point it at them threateningly. "I'm not afraid to use this. Ask anyone."

They look at the can of pepper spray and then each other. "Laugh," says the one directly in front of me. "She thinks she can take us out with a can."

I don't hesitate to shake the can and unleash the pepper spray on them. They scream in agony and start rolling on the floor – but not in laughter.

I crack up. "Don't underestimate the power of pepper spray," I tell them, stepping over their bodies and finally continuing all the way down the hall.

I keep walking and walking, since this hall seems to never end. My feet are actually getting pretty tired, and seeing how much walking I've done since I ran away from Nuvema Town, this is so not normal. I can't believe there hasn't been one single door in this hallway since the closet that I locked N in.

Just as I think that, I see a door. It's been spray-painted pink which is incredibly tacky and way too girly for my taste. Of course, since the alternative is to keep walking down the hall with no other doors in sight, I open it and slip in.

"N? Is that you?" a high, lilting voice asks and a girl maybe my age appears in front of me. She has long pink hair, even longer than mine, and is wearing the poofiest, sparkliest pink dress I've ever seen in my life. It goes all the way to the floor.

"Oh," she says, giving me the once-over and wrinkling her nose like there's something wrong with me. "You're not N."

"No shit, Sherlock," I reply, rolling my eyes.

"Who are you, then?" she demands.

"Who are _you_?" I retort, though I'm kind of surprised she doesn't know me. You'd think Team Plasma would educate all its members of the girl who most threatened their whole plan. But I guess not.

"I'm Anthea," she replies in a voice that indicates I should probably know who she is. But she's not that important to me, so I just shrug.

"You don't know me?" Anthea cries shrilly. "But I'm – I'm -"

"Anthea," I finish for her. "Yeah. I got that."

"Well, aren't you rude," she sniffs, smoothing down her ridiculous pink hair. I can't help wondering if that's the real color, or if she dyed it to match her dress. Suddenly, she lets out a gasp. "Oh! I do know you! You're Touko White, the nasty rebel girl."

"Thanks," I reply sarcastically. "But I suppose that's me."

"Well, get out of here," she says. "Before I call King N in on you."

I snort in laughter. "Yeah, like he's smart enough to get himself out of that closet."

"Excuse me?" asks Anthea, looking puzzled.

I say "Never mind" quickly and she purses her lips. "So what do you do with your life?" I ask

her finally, since I doubt she'll let me leave freely and the last thing I want is to wrestle a girl in a freaky dress.

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Anthea asks suspiciously, as though I'm trying to spy on her private life.

"Just, you know, what do you do all the time?" I rephrase. "Like, no offense or anything, but you don't seem like a Pokemon Trainer."

"_No one _is a Pokemon Trainer," she hisses at me. "That's illegal."

"Doesn't seem to stop Team Plasma from raising Pokemon," I point out, causing her to turn red out of anger. "I happen to be one myself."

"Oh?" she replies, raising an eyebrow. "Well, they must be tired by now. All that battling you must have done just to be here – and more Grunts will be coming, along with the Seven Sages. There's no way your Pokemon can last that long."

"What are you trying to say?" I ask cautiously.

"Nothing, really," Anthea replies, with a smug smile I am just itching to wipe off her face. "It's just … I know how to heal Pokemon and get them well-rested in a short amount of time."

No way. There's no way I can honestly be so lucky that I found someone who'll heal up Pokemon. And Anthea seems so bitchy. Is she really offering to help me now?

I dig around in my purse for my Pokeballs. I hold them out for Anthea.

"Would you …?"

She laughs cruelly. "Aw, you fell for it. I would never heal your Pokemon. I only do that for Team Plasma – most especially King N."

Of course there was a catch for this. Nothing is ever this easy. I glare at that bitch Anthea, feeling my anger towards her and Team Plasma in general building up inside me.

"Oh, fuck yes you're healing my Pokemon," I threaten her, locking the door to the hallway shut. "Or else I'll get my Pokemon to use an attack on you, or I'll pepper spray you. Or both. Here's a hint." I lower my voice and whisper menacingly, "It'll probably be both."

"You wouldn't," Anthea retorts, but I can see she looks really freaked out. I was right in thinking that she wasn't a Pokemon Trainer. She has no defenses.

"Trust me, pepper spray burns," I add with a devilish smile. "Just ask the Shadow Triad."

Her eyes widen in fear and she takes a step back. "You took down the Shadow Triad!?" Tentatively, Anthea holds her hand out in front of me. "Give me your Pokemon."

I hand them to her, not worried in the slightest. She heals them and gives them back, muttering nasty things at me under her breath, though I can still hear every word.

I stick the Pokeballs carefully back into my purse and unlock the door to head back into the hallway. Instead of saying goodbye or thank you to Anthea, I give her the middle finger behind my back and head back out.

Anthea slams the door shut behind me.


	22. Chapter 21

**TOUKO'S .**

I'm humming my favorite song of all time, _Breakaway_, as I skip cheerfully down the hallway. Sure, I'm in a hostile enemy castle, but I'm feeling pretty good. My Pokemon are healed and ready for more battling and there are no Plasma Grunts in sight. I have no clue how the rest of the rebellion are doing, but no news must be good news, right?

I hope so.

I convince myself that Brycen would, at the very least, take time to duck out of the battle and let me know if anyone has gotten hauled off to jail. And Bianca hasn't even got a Pokemon – which, I'll admit, is my fault because I never really had the time to catch her one yet – so she'd have all the time in the world to tell me important stuff.

So they must be okay. I seriously hope Touya – and everyone else, of course – are okay.

As I walk, I finger the Dark Stone in my pocket. It's as smooth as always, but I can't help wondering why it hasn't chosen me as its hero yet. I want to yell at it, but that would give away my position to any Grunts who might be lurking, and I don't want them to think I'm psycho for yelling at a stone. Plus, Zekrom might get pissed and decide not to ever come out at all.

If the legendary dragon Pokemon does think I'm the hero – which, you know, it probably should considering EVERYTHING I'VE DONE FOR UNOVA, COUGH COUGH – it really ought to hurry up and get the hell out of this stone. Just saying.

In the middle of my thoughts, I almost trip down a flight of stairs that head downward. Since I'm still on the ground level of the castle, I'm assuming these lead to the basement. Glancing over my shoulder to make sure no one is watching me, I head down the stairs.

The basement reminds me of Victory Road in a way. It's as dark and gloomy as the cave, that's for sure. The ridiculous coldness of the place makes me shiver involuntarily. I explore, rubbing my arms to give myself some friction.

Team Plasma has used this place as storage, it seems, and it's full of unworn Team Plasma uniforms and empty Pokeballs. I scoop some of them up and shove them into my purse, because we've run out of Pokeballs lately and you'll never know when you need one.

Suddenly, a door that's been built to blend into the wall catches my eye. It camoflagues pretty well, actually, and I wouldn't have noticed it if not for a little plaque that reads simply: **SECRET DOOR. DO NOT ENTER.**

I find this both amusing and incredibly stupid. Which is what I think about most of the Team Plasma Grunts and N, so it kind of makes sense that they would make their secret door so obvious. Ignoring the sign, I open the 'secret' door and enter the room.

Technically, the room could be counted as empty since there's really no furniture in it. All of the walls, however, are shelved all the way around all four walls, all the way up to the ceiling. On the shelves are lots of little locked chests.

I pull one off the shelf and easily pick the lock with a hair clip I borrowed from Bianca. It flips open, revealing that it's full to the brim with Pokeballs. But why would they have locked chests full of Pokeballs in a 'secret room' when they have other ones outside in the open?

Then it hits me. Of course! These Pokeballs actually have Pokemon inside them, whereas the others are empty. These are so much more valuable to the rebellion than the empty Pokeballs, so I pull them all out of my purse.

I'm about to place the Pokeballs with Pokemon in them into my purse, when I realize how easily they will be found when I get caught and searched – yeah, that's my secret plan to free all the other captives in this castle – so I replace all the empty Pokeballs into my purse.

I take a closer look at the little chest of full Pokeballs, and notice that this one is labeled**ICE. **It takes me a second to realize that it means all the Pokemon in this chest are the ice type. I let out a laugh. Leave it to Team Plasma to make this so much easier for me!

Pulling more and more chests down from the shelves and unlocking them with Bianca's hair pin, I am careful to take one Pokeball out of each type's chest. Soon, I have a pile of thirteen Pokeballs, one of all the gym leader's and Elite Four's battling types, along with a Spiritomb Pokeball for Cynthia. She gets a Spiritomb because it isn't really weak to any type, and I have no idea what kind of Pokemon Cynthia prefers to battle with.

I take painstaking time to lock each chest and place it back exactly where I found it, so if any Plasma Grunt comes in here before the rebellion finishes what we've come here to do, they won't realize I've been here.

Then I pick up the pile of Pokeballs and shove them into my bra, along with the Dark Stone, because I can't have these things found and taken from me. There's no mirror around for me to look at, but I'm pretty sure my boobs just grew three sizes.

Cautiously, I head out of the 'secret room' and back up the stairs, so I'm on the ground floor. It's time for me to get caught.

**N'S P.O.V.**

"TOUKO!" I scream for the thousandth time, still pounding on the door. "TOUKO! OPEN THE DOOR!"

Finally, I'm too tired to bang anymore. I can't believe she actually locked me in here and then left like that. She's hot but heartless.

I slump down against the door and contemplate how long I'll be stuck here before someone opens the closet. Only the maids use it, and I think Ghetsis fired the last maid yesterday morning …

shit. Maybe Ghetsis will come look for me?

Not until after the rebellion gets out of here. He'll rant about me not being at the battle, but he won't send anyone to find me. No, I'm going to have to take matters into my own hands to get out of here. I back away to the far wall of the closet and brace myself – then charge right at the door.

Nothing happens except pain all over my body and I fall onto the floor. "Not trying THAT again," I mutter, wincing. So I go back to my original plan, though I've given up on Touko coming back here. "SOMEONE! HELP! IT'S ME, N!"

Surprisingly, someone actually opens the door. It's Anthea – I swear to Arceus that girl is stalking me. But who cares if she is or not, I've never been so grateful to see Anthea in my life.

"N?" she says, looking at me funny. "What are you doing in the supply closet?"

"Touko locked me in the closet," I reply with a small smile, as though it was a joke.

She looks like she wants to strangle Touko with her bare hands. "I guess that's what that bitch meant when she said not to expect you for a long time, then."

I step out of the closet, trying to look as dignified as I possibly can. Anthea follows me. "Do you want to come hang out with me in my room or something?" she asks hopefully. "You know, until Ghetsis gets the nasty rebels out of our castle."

"As the King of Team Plasma, it's my job to do that too," I tell her distractedly, trying to figure out which way Touko went. "And the rebels are people, not rats. We don't just get rid of them."

"Whatever," Anthea sniffs, stalking off back to her overly pink room. "Have fun with that, N."

I shrug after her. Girls are so hard to figure out. Then I head down the hallway towards the front entrance to the castle, just in case Touko went that way.

Over there, the first thing I do is trip over a dead guy. Wait – WHAT?!

I look down to see a Plasma Grunt, bleeding all over the lush carpeting. I nudge him with my foot, and make a face when he gets my shoe all bloody. "Are you okay, dude?"

The Grunt just groans in response. He looks as though he's just about bleeding to death.

"Okay, maybe not," I say. "What happened?"

Like before, the Grunt doesn't make any intelligible response. I sigh dramatically. "You need medical help, don't you? Alright, I'll just try and pick you up and … drag your bloody self to Anthea. She could help you ..."

I know on the inside though that Anthea won't want to touch this Grunt because he's covered in blood and looks 'gross'. You'd think we'd have a braver, nicer, smarter person as the official healer of Team Plasma, but Anthea is Ghetsis' niece. It explains a lot, doesn't it?

Instead, I try to fix the Grunt up myself, with my limited healing experience. I bandage up the wound on his leg, which is where all the bleeding comes from, but the bandages just end up soaked with blood and I haven't helped at all. I help the Grunt drink some water out of my plastic bottle, but I know in the long run, it won't save him.

"Do you … do you have a last wish or something?" I ask him finally. There's no sense in trying to help him anymore – I think both he and I know he's going to die. "I could help fulfill it … or something like that."

The Grunt doesn't say anything at all, not even making a noise. I guess I shouldn't have expected him to respond to that, considering he couldn't tell me if he was okay in the first place. "Never mind then."

On impulse, I bend down and pick his head up with my hands slowly. His eyes are glassy and his skin is pale and cold. I realize suddenly – he's dead. Horrified, I drop him completely and furiously wipe the deadness off my skin and onto my pants.

It doesn't make me feel any better.

There's nothing else I can do for this dead Grunt, so I turn around and run off down the hallway the way I came. It wouldn't be dignified or respectful for me to throw up all over this already drenched-in-blood dead body.

I try to force this horrible event out of my mind and instead focus on what's going on now. The rebellion is here, fighting in full force. I need to find Ghetsis and join him, back up the rest of Team Plasma and crush the rebellion.

I run faster, trying to figure out where the rebellion and Ghetsis could be.


	23. Chapter 22

**Touko's P.O.V.**

I dash down the hallway feeling thirteen Pokeballs and the Dark Stone jiggling in my bra. Twelve of the thirteen Pokeballs are filled, and the last one is a masterball for Zekrom. Now, you might wonder why I've filled my bra with Pokeballs. Well, I figure that the fastest way to free lots of captives is to become a captive. Bras are a good hiding spot for things you don't want found. I run down staircases, and I search for grunts to 'arrest' me. I finally find a pair, and decide to act lost and confused. I walk out in-front of them, and try to act surprised when they jump out and pull my hands behind my back.

One checks my pockets and takes my purse before snarling,

"Touko White, you are under arrest in the custody of Team Plasma."

I pretend to struggle until he takes me down into the jail, and slams the door. I hear lots of groans from the captives, and Shauntal's moan of,

"The rebellion is dead."

I look Shauntal in the eyes and tell her,

"I expected more from you Shauntal. You should know I would never let myself get 'caught' without a plan for escape.

I see twelve hope full faces peer through the bars of their cells. Twelve gaunt and sallow faces that have been abused, wounded, and starved. Twelve faces that are relying on me to lead them out of their prison and into the dawn. Lets do this. I start digging around in my bra- to hell with modesty- and pull out a Pokeball, and hand it to Shauntal.

"Here you go. Don't lose it again. And sorry about the thing at the gate, I just couldn't have us all be arrested." I tell her.

I feel around for the next one I'm looking for, and shake it to check that it's the right Pokeball. Satisfied that it is, I pass it to Elesa, who opens it up, and releases the Pokemon inside.

"Emolga!" it cries.

Elesa, shocked, drops the Pokeball almost breaking it before bursting into tears. She stoops down to retrieve the ball, sets it down on the bench, and hugs the sky squirrel so hard it looks like it's suffocating. I pull out my next Pokeball, and pass it to Caitlin through the bars of our cells. She pops it open and cries out,

"Reuniclus! Oh, thank you Touko!" she cries before reaching out to tentatively touch the Pokemon like she's afraid it may disappear. When it doesn't Caitlin grabs its arms, and begins to twirl around, clobbering the other prisoners in her cell with the grubby once white-and-pink dress she wears.

"Hey, watch it!" Cynthia cries.

"I have something for you Cynthia. Not sure your type, so I grabbed this." I tell her, handing her a Spiritomb.

"Thanks." Cynthia says, trying not to react like Caitlin whom she just scorned, but she's not fooling anyone.

Silent tears of gratitude fall down her cheeks in a waterfall as she touches her Pokemon's misty body. I pull yet another Pokeball out of my bra, and hear some gasps of disbelief. I toss Watchog to Lenora who hugs the Pokemon almost as tall her feeble body. I toss two to Cilan and Cress who look like they're debating how much they want to touch something from a girl's bra, but accept it anyway. As they click the button on theirs open, out pop a Simisage and Simipour. They both hi-five each other before mumbling,

"Thanks." to me.

I toss one to clay, who lets out an Excadrill, and gives me a hearty,

"Thank y'all." Before busting into tears, upsetting his new Pokemon which tries to comfort him.

I toss a Leavanny to Burgh, who throws himself on the tall, slender mantis-like form of the Pokemon, greatly irritating his new friend.

"Leavanny." He murmurrs softly into it, making it coo and comfort him.

I pull out four of the six remaining Pokeballs, and fire them out in rapid succession.

"Marshall, Alder, Drayden, Grimsley!" I call tossing them a Throh, Volcarona, Hydregion, and Krookodile.

As I rattle off the names, I hear a gasp, and a cry of

"Grimsley!" from Shauntal.

She frees Terrakion, and tells him to break down the bars. He does, and Shauntal runs over to Grimsley's cell.

"You're alive!" she whispers, and bursts into tears, holding his arms through the bars.

He turns to face her, and Shauntal gapes in horror. From his temple to his jawbone, a faded red burn mark runs down the right side of Grimsley's face. Shauntal reaches through the bars and runs her finger down the line before busting into tears. Elesa and I walk out of the ruins of our cell, and stand in the middle of the prison. Elesa chases Emolga around the room, enjoying her new freedom of movement, while I stand in the center, let out Serperior, transfer the Dark Stone form bra to pocket, and remain tapping my foot agitatedly on the floor. I stare, annoyed, at three-fourths of the crying people in this jail. Everyone turns look at me, I get defensive and say,

"What? Are we going to blow this joint or sit around crying like babies?"

Shauntal wastes no time in using Terrakion to break the bars to Grimsley and Dradyen's cell. She whispers to Terrakion,

"Go, break open the other cells with people in them too."

She turns back to Grimsley. They both gaze at each other like no one else exists. Suddenly, Grimsley pulls Shauntal to him, and leans in to close the distance between their lips. We all stare at them as they kiss for what seems like an eternity, but was really probably only two minutes, before they pull apart.

Grimsley studies Shauntal's appearance before proclaiming,

"You're a mess."

Shauntal laughs grimly before returning,

"I know. I must look like a murder scene, and thanks to my phobia there's a me-sized hole in the carpet, but I feel safe around you."

By now, we're all standing in a circle around them as they kiss again, but, sadly the tender moment is interrupted by a grunt turning the door knob, and descending the stairs. They break apart, and the grunt stares at us with deer-in-a-headlight eyes. He walks over to the intercom system and says,

"All prisoners have escaped. I repeat all prisoners have esca-" Before I dash over and slam his head into the intercom system.

An electrical whine fills the whole castle, and I'm sure everyone covers their ears. I slam the grunts head into the steel box two more times for good measure, and then toss him to the side. I hear Burgh cry,

"Leavanny, string shot!" And the grunt is cocooned in sticky, wet fibers that imprison him.

I grab the microphone, pull it towards my face, and tell the whole castle so everyone can hear my voice,

"This is Touko White, leader of the rebellion. Surrender now, or prepare to have your asses kicked."

I push the button that turns off the intercom system, and Shauntal and Grimsley,

"You know you want to kiss again. Go on."

Before they shake their heads and tell me,

"We can wait."

"Well, come on then. We have ass to whip." I say before leading my group of friends up the staircase and out of the dungeon into the brightly lit, chaotic hall of the Team Plasma castle.


	24. Chapter 23

We are standing outside the door to the throne room. All of us, the entire rebellion, united for the very first time. This is the battle that will decide our future – as Unova the way it used to be, or forever Team Plasma's region.

Can I help it if I'm really nervous right now?

Touya reaches over and squeezes my hand reassuringly, and I take a deep breath. Then I push the doors to throne room open and we all walk in, as slowly and quietly as a funeral procession.

We find ourselves surrounded by Plasma Grunts on all sides, two of which quickly bolt the doors behind us. Ghetsis is sitting on a ridiculously lavish throne, bejeweled and made out of what looks like pure gold.

"This is where it ends, Touko White," he sneers, looking directly at me with his beady black eyes. I can't help but feel that it's unnatural for them to be so empty, so soulless. I resist the urge to shiver.

"I agree," I say boldly. "This is where it ends."

"Team Plasma will crush the rebellion, right here and now," Ghetsis announces, gesturing to the vast amount of Grunts that clearly outnumber the rebellion.

I take the words as a challenge. "I'd like to see you try," I tell him, my words a lot more confident than I feel on the inside. _Zekrom, now would be a good time to make up your mind! _I scream desperately in my head. _Any other time will be a bit too late!_

I finger the Dark Stone in my pocket hopefully, but it doesn't seem to be any different than from the last time I touched it. Stalling for any extra time, I say, "So what happened to N, Ghetsis? Did your little king run off because he was too scared to fight?"

Ghetsis bristles and I smile. This comment has obviously hit too close to home. "N is busy," he replies, which is a pretty lame response.

"What, this isn't important enough for him?" I snort, gesturing at the rebellion, full of dangerous and powerful Pokemon Trainers.

"Shut up, little girl," he snaps at me, which makes me clench my fists angrily. I'm seventeen – the same age as N! Obviously _not_ a little girl. "You understand nothing about a King's duties."

"Whatever," I say, rolling my eyes at him, which actually makes him stand up in anger. He seems to have no experience at all in dealing with teenage girls.

"Don't talk to me like that!" Ghetsis roars. "I am one of the Seven Sages!"

"So you're old, big deal," Iris says before I can. Ghetsis' face turns a ridiculously funny shade of red, and I see some of the Plasma Grunts trying (and failing) to hide their laughter.

"All of you, be quiet!" he orders, and they fall silent. Impressive. Ghetsis must really punish them painfully for not following orders. "You came here to battle, did you not, Touko White?"

"Yeah, pretty much," I say, purposefully sounding as though I couldn't care less. It works – he looks infuriated.

"Well then, let us battle!" he yells. "Enough with this pointless chatter!" I remind myself to enroll him in anger management classes after we win this thing.

Grunts and rebels pair up quickly, glaring at each other with their hands on their Pokeballs, ready to call them out to battle. I lock eyes with Ghetsis, which the other rebels have steered clear of. They all know he's my fight, and mine alone.

I'm about to yell something really cool and dramatic that we'll remember forever – like "Onward to victory, Rebellion!" - when the ground beneath our feet starts to shake. Debris from the ceiling starts to fall on our heads, and then a blinding white shape bursts through the wall, destroying it entirely. It lands gracefully on the ground, rebels and Plasma Grunts running desperately so as not to get trampled by it.

"Reshiram," I hear Shauntal mutter fearfully.

"What?!" I freak out. Reshiram is the legendary dragon Pokemon, the counterpart to Zekrom. The one that searches for a hero that upholds ideals over truth. Squinting at a figure on its back, I see who's riding Reshiram. It's N.

N is the other hero.

"Oh, Arceus," I say quietly, so no one else can hear me. "We are so fucking screwed."

"Sorry I'm late!" N calls out cheerfully to the dumbfounded silence of everyone else in the room. He slides off Reshiram's back easily, like he's done it a thousand times before. Unfortunately, he probably has. He shoots me a meaningful look when he adds, "I was locked in a closet."

_Zekrom, come out now, Zekrom, come out now, Zekrom, PLEASE – FUCKING – COME – OUT – NOW! _The Dark Stone does nothing but sit in my pocket like a lump.

"_You're _the hero of truth? Seriously?" Iris squeaks in disbelief. "Why would you pick him, Reshiram? N is a douchebag!"

"Reshiram picked me because I found the Light Stone," N answers Iris in a bored voice. "I believe in the truth as strongly as Touko believes in ideals." He says truth as though its the stupidest thing in the world.

Suddenly, N looks right at me and smirks when he doesn't see Zekrom. "Oh, Touko, what happened to your Dark Stone? Zekrom still hasn't chosen you as the hero?" he says in a fake-pitying voice.

I bristle, resisting the urge to smack him in the face. Reshiram might blow me to bits. Suddenly, I feel something in my pocket, violently shaking. I reach in and pull out the Dark Stone, which has started to shake and is pulsing a strange purplish glow.

N's eyes widen in shock, and he stares at the stone in recognition. It occurs to me that this is most likely what happened with the Light Stone when Reshiram picked him as its hero. _Thank you for finally coming to your senses, Zekrom,_ I think. _No offense, but next time you ought to try some better timing. This was a really close call._

The Dark Stone starts to grow and mutilate into a huge black shape. Finally, once it stops glowing, it lands on the ground with a huge thud. The dark creature roars.

"Zekrom?" I ask, not knowing what else to say.

It looks at me and roars in response. I take it for a yes, and slowly reach my hand out to touch it. When Zekrom doesn't kill me, I start patting it like a puppy.

"Actually," I answer N, staring at him triumphantly, "I believe Zekrom just _did _choose me as its hero."

Behind me, the rebellion cheers.

I scramble around in my purse for the Master ball I saved specially for Zekrom until my hands close in on it. Pulling it out, I show it to Zekrom and click it open. Obediently, its shape sort of dissolves again and it disappears into my pokeball.

"Okay," I say loudly, "I believe we can start our battle now."

"Are you sure?" Ghetsis asks sarcastically, speaking again for the first time since N showed up. "You don't want to magically summon Victini or something?"

"Technically, I believe it was _your _King who crashed through that wall and interrupted us." I point out. "But if you want me to get Victini, I believe its Pokeball is somewhere in my purse. Could you just give me a minute?"

"What?" cries Ghetsis. "What are you talking about? N has Victini!"

"Actually, Ghetsis," N says, an ashamed expression on his face, "remember that time Touko stole those Pokeballs from me? Victini was in one of them."

Ghetsis lets out a scream of outrage, but then calms down suddenly. "No matter. We'll take Victini, along with all the other Pokemon, back once we defeat the rebellion."

"I don't believe that will be happening," I tell Ghetsis confidently, actually believing that this time, as I hold Zekrom's Master ball in my hand. Now I finally get to shout out the cool let's-get-this-battle-started sentence I wanted to before N interrupted me.

"Onward to victory, rebellion!"


	25. Chapter 24

**Touko's P.O.V.**

I toss down Zekrom's Pokeball, and the battle begins. N throws out Reshiram.

"Zekrom, fusion bolt!" I scream, as Zekrom tosses a blinding flash of light at Reshiram. Reshiram barely looks fazed.

"Touko, Reshiram is a fire type! Electric type moves won't be very effective on it!" Shautnal screams.

"Thanks for the tip." I yell back.

N cries, "Reshriam, dragon breath."

I cringe as Zekrom roars in pain, a super effective attack.

"Zekrom, use dragon claw." I scream.

N winces, and I cheer as the sound of a critical hit rings out. Reshiram bellows as Zekrom's sharp claws rake its feathery stomach. Reshiram totters backwards, almost out of energy.

"Reshiram, use fusion flare!" N calls, and I pray that Zekrom survives.

"Dodge, and use dragon breath!" I command.

My Pokemon is too slow to dodge and is sent skidding backwards from the sheer force of the attack. Other than that, Zekrom is unharmed. The attack wasn't effective. Right. Dragon beats fire. Zekrom uses dragon breath, and Reshiram is slammed back into the wall. When the dust settles, Reshiram is down on the floor, unconscious.

N screams and recalls Reshiram, while I pat Zekrom on the nose.

"You did well buddy." I say, and then return him. I look around the room, and notice some of my friends aren't doing so well. I toss seven Pokeballs out of my purseh.

"Victini, Cobalion, Terrakion, Vizirion, Thundrus, Tornadus, Landorus, you know what to do. Help our friends. Go!" I scream.

The Pokemon obey my order, and scatter around the room. I crack my knuckles, and pull out my last Pokeball.

"Lets settle this old-school, shall we?" I ask before releasing Serperior.

"I couldn't agree with you more." N replies, sending out a Zoroark.

My Serperior is a much higher level than N's Zoroark, so I quickly pummel it into the ground with a few swipes of leaf blade. N's next Pokemon is a Carracosta. He smiles, and orders it to use stone edge. Serperior dodges, and I say,

"Leaf Tornado, Serperior!"

Carracosta takes the full force of the attack, but is still standing.

N smirks before saying, "Nice try Touko. Carracosta can't be taken out with one hit. Carracosta, use crunch."

I wince as Carracosta bites Seprerior's side. I hear Serperior cry in pain, and my eyes narrow. Carracosta is going to get it.

"Serperior, use Leaf Blade." I say coldly.

I watch in glee as the super effective attack slices into Carracosta, demolishing what little energy it had left. N recalls it, and cries,

"Archeops, go!"

N sends out a colorful, prehistoric looking Pokemon. I quickly destroy it, with little damage to my agile Serperior, who has three quarters of his maximum HP left. N sends out a Vanillish, which I pound. By now, everyone - with the exception of Shauntal and Grimsley who are kissing in a corner - has turned to watch, and is staring at us.

N looks stressed, but call out, "My last Pokemon–my ace in the hole–Klinklang, go!"

Crap. A steel type Pokemon, and Serperior is getting worn out too. He is down to half his HP. "Okay, calm Touko." I think "We can do this. Last Pokemon, plus we have leveled up more."

"Serperior, use solar beam!" I cry, allowing N to hit me with a flash cannon. It isn't supper effective, but I cringe anyway.

N cries, "Kinklang, use hyper beam!" just as Serperior releases the ray of light.

The two attacks crash it the center of the room, and everyone in the room tries to see through a thick grey cloud. I wave the cloud away with my hands and see Serperior standing victorious over Kinklang.

"Yes!" I scream, and pump my fist in the air, as N returns his fallen Kinklang to its Pokeball.

Ghetsis pushes through the crowd of cheering spectators, and marches up to me in a murderous rage.

"What?! I created Team Plasma with my own hands. I AM PERFECTION! I am the perfect ruler of a perfect new world! I only have a single Pokeball, but now you will face me in battle."

Ghetsis throws out a Hydreigon, and I toss out Zekrom.

"You'll never stop me just like you puny weak parents I crushed long ago." He mocks me.

"Dragon Claw, Zekrom!" I scream, incensed.

I wipe out the Hydregion with one powerful, force-filled attack, and watch the shocked expression on Ghetsis' face.

"_"_My calculations... No! My careful schemes! The world should be mine!" He yells, glaring at me.

I then scream, and am upon him. I tackle him, slamming my one-hundred and fifteen pounds against him, with full force, bowling him over. I pull on the ornate, decorative part of his robe, pull it into his throat, and rip it from the seam, watching with pleasure as his face turns red. I have full attention of every living soul in the room, and I'm sure I look insane. I don't give a fuck. This is my chance for revenge. I've waited thirteen years for this, and no one is going to take it from me now.

"You sick bastard!" I scream. "You murdered my childhood in-front of my eyes, and you scarred me for life! You almost killed the Elite Four, and you locked up the champion, while fucking innocent women in your prison. YOU MAKE ME SICK!"

I slap him across the face, and begin to choke him with his robes again. I watch as his face turns a deep shade of red, and a satisfyingly light shade of blue. I let go, and he sucks in air while flopping about like a fish out of water. Serperior pops out of his ball, sensing my distress, and immediately lets out a barrage of razor sharp leaves on Ghetsis. He returns to his ball which closes with a click, and leaves Ghestis with some nasty cuts. Elesa walks up to me timidly, and whispers in my ear,

"Touko, can I have a turn?"

"My pleasure." I reply.

Elesa stands over Ghetsis, get right down next to his ear, and yells

"FUCK YOU!" as loudly as she can. Ghetsis winces, she must have blown an eardrum at least.

She then slaps him so hard she has to rub her hand after. There is a hand print on Ghetsis' face, and I promptly add another. I begin to punch him. Punch. Punch. I begin to speak as I punch him, getting into a rhythm.

"This. Is. For. Elesa. And. Caitlin. And. For. Every. Other. Girl. You. Sick. Bastards. Fucked. In. Prison."

Touya grabs my shoulder. "Touko I think that's enough." He tells me as I shove him back.

"No." I tell Touya. "This is between him and me. As soon as he tells me where my parents are, I will stop beating him. Maybe."

I punch Ghestis several more times with out any additional information about my family. Finally, I swing, and hook him in the chin so hard, I feel something move. He looks at me, and spits a tooth onto the floor in a pool of blood. He smiles a bloody deranged smile, showing me the black, bloody, torn-up hollow where his tooth used to reside, looks me in my furious blue eyes, and tells me one word,

"Dead." He says triumphantly, and beings to cackle madly on the floor, going insane. I shove him aside with my foot and everyone cheers except N, who is staring into space like none of this has happened. I march over to N. I see a look flash across Touya's face for a fleeting moment, the same

he wore on his face when I said N was cute at Lacunosa Town. Jealousy. My Arceus! Does he really think I'm going to kiss N after all of this? I walk up the steps to the throne, and position myself right in-front of N, so close our noses almost touch. I softly, but dangerously ask him,

"What happened to my parents?"

He doesn't answer, juts drops his head and eyes to the floor like he's too ashamed to answer me.

"TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED TO MY PARENTS!" I scream in his face, jerking it back up.

He still doesn't respond, and by now, I've reached my wits-end. I've saved Unova, but I can't

even get an answer about the deaths of my parents? Faster than a Rapidash, I pivot, and strike N across the face so hard it sounds like a whip-crack. When I step back, I see the shape of my hand imprinted on his face in red. The, I burst into tears and cry. Considering everything I've been through, I'm surprised I didn't break down sooner. As I cry, N hesitantly puts his arm around me, and he pulls me into his lap. I don't object, but simply cry harder into his shirt. I feel his arms wrap around me as he unsuccessfully attempt to quiet me. Finally, he asks me,

"Touko, what would make you stop crying?"

"My parents." I choke out between sobs.

"Well," he soothes me, "Since they're kind of dead, is there anything else?"

"The story of what happened." I whisper,

**N's P.O.V**

After Touko slapped me, the last thing I expected was for her to break down in tears. My first thought is, 'okay, maybe she's not so heartless after all.' Hoping she won't slap me again, I put my arm around her waist and try to sit her on my lap. I expected her to pull, or fight me, but instead, she just melts into a puddle of jelly. She grabs my white shirt, uses it as a tissue, then burries her face in it. I can feel the wet spot that she is creating, growing and enlarging in a blobby way. I try to calm her down, but nothing I do works. Finally there's no way around it. If I want her to stop bawling on my clothes, I have to tell her what I know.

I begin by telling her, "Touko, this is not how I wanted it to end, but this is what happened. I was seven, so I imagine you'd have been around the same age. I was doing my job, supervising the confiscation of ledgendary Pokemon, when Sage Ghestis approached me.

'I need you to come with me.' he told me.

'But sir,' I said, unaware of the carnage I was about to witness, 'these Pokemon can't unload themselves.'

'The Pokemon can wait.' said Sage Ghestis, and I knew it must have been important.

Ghestis dragged me to the tower of the castle we're standing in now, only then, it looked drastically different. In the center of the room was a large glass box with a metal, cross-shaped platform, and one closeable slit for air. There was a small circle shaped hole by the right prong of the platform, and to the right of the hole was a devilish looking machine. Inside the machine were various syringes filled with lethal substances. As I watched, a young woman, about thirty-seven or so, with long disheveled, knotted brown hair was dragged into the room. She was screaming something that I think was

'You can't do this. NO! Not now. No! My baby! Tell my baby I love her!'

Then, two grunts stuffed her into the glass box, and strapped her down onto the platform. The large conversing crowd in the room gathered around the box in a tight circle, and Ghestis brought me onto the throne and put me on his shoulders to get a better view. The woman on the inside, struggled against her bonds as the grunts shut the box on her, like a coffin. The only holes left were the air slit, and the hole by her arm. As I watched, the men loaded a needle into the tip of the machine, and wheeled the machine forward so the needle fit into the hole.

'Any last word Natsumi?' Ghestis sneered mockingly. To her credit, Natsumi raised her head defiantly and replied,

'It's Professor White.'

Ghestis signaled the grunts who pushed a button on the machine, and slid the breathing slot shut. The machine twisted the front apparatus, and the needle slid forward into your mother's arm. Her struggles of protest got weaker an weaker as the rounds of injection continued until her eyes were glassy like a dolls, and her head lolled forwards on no account of its own. I knew then she was dead. Everyone else started cheering as Sage Ghestis gave some speech on 'disobediance in prisoners,' but I just stared and said nothing. Your father died a week after from grief. They were both cremated."

Touko sniffles in my arm, and asks, "Is that all?" planitively, like a small child.

"No," I tell her, "Your mom wanted someone to tell you she loves you."

Touko smiles, sniffles once more, then hops off my lap, and descends the steps of the throne.

**Touko's P.O.V.**

I hop off N's lap - maybe all Plasmas aren't such bad guys - swivel, and file down the steps.

"I'm done here." I call to the armed guards whom Bianca called, "You can arrest him now." I say, jerking my thumb towards an insane Ghestis.

I turn around to watch the guards clap handcuffs on him, and hear the satisfying click of closing metal. Then, I watch with horror as one of the guards cuffs N too. I see the look of fleeting panic on his face and cry out,

"Hey!" The guards wheel to face me, and I continue, "Did I say you could arrest him too?"

"No ma'am." one guard states.

"We thought you implied it, so we assumed-" His partner begins before I cut him off by saying,

"Well, you assumed wrong. Release him at once!"

The guards panic and unlock N. I smile at him, and he smile back. We have forged a tentative friendship. The guards take Ghestis away, and out friends follow them out, muttering about gyms and Pokemon. Shauntal and Grimsley just kiss more. Finally, only the three of us are left alone, and Touya turns to me and asks,

"Well, what do you wanna do now?" with a lopsided grin on his face,

"I want to go home," I answer, "And Touya, do expect company. N's coming with us you know."

Touya scowls at N, and I giggle.

"As long as you don't share a bed with him," he says seriously.

"Oh, Touya, you know I only do that with you." I joke.

"Right," he tells me, "Sleeping bag incident. Sorry."

"WHAT?" I yell, "Touya, you mean to tell me you spent the whole night in there with me? I thought you said you were just going to warm me up for five minutes!"

"But you looked cold the whole night, and..." He trails off.

I clobber him, and we both start wrestling on the marble floor of the throne room, stained with blood and bad memories. N laughs, amused with our wrestling, and adds,

"Touya, Touko's pretty strong. Don't let her get you near a closet."

"What did you do?" Touya teases.

"Nothing." I reply innocently, batting my eyelashes.

Suddenly N grabs me, and pins me down on the floor with Touya.

"Hey, no fair!" I cry, giggling hysterically. "Two on one!"

I wrestle myself out of their grip, and it seems like we're just three normal teens. Not the rebellion leaders, and the Plasma King, just three typical seventeen-year-olds. And hey, who knows.

I think we are.

I walk down the last set of steps holding hands with both N, and Touya. We walk out of the gate, and help direct the evacuation process of the Team Plasma castle. I notice a familiar face in the mob of grunts, and push through the line.

"Hey Anthea. My Pokemon are feeling a little tired. Wanna heal them?" I tease.

Anthea grumbles, in no place to object, and returns my two healed Pokeballs.

"So," I continue, "Looking forward to prison?"

"Like you care." She grimaces.

"Actually, I do." I say, surprising her. "Work at a Pokemon center. I'll talk to a guard. I know a job opening. Anyway, as for prison? You couldn't handle it." I tell her, before having a brief converstion with a guard. "He says it's fine as long as you don't talk pro-liberation." I tell Anthea. "You're free to go."

I watch as she walks away, knowing I was right to do that.

"Come on." Touya says. "Let's go home before you free all of Team Plasma."


	26. Epilogue

It's been three days and the Plasma Castle has been demolished a while ago (it really helps to have strong people and legendary Pokemon – thank you, Terrakion – that are really good at breaking shit). In the meantime, the ex-Gym leaders (though we have plans to reinstate them once the Gyms have been rebuilt) have been in charge of constructing a memorial for all the people who died, as well as those in the prostitution system.

It's not exactly finished yet, but there is a foundation, and that's where I'm sitting. On the wall, with my feet dangling over the edge, watching the stars. I say stars because it's actually night (so more like two days and three quarters since we destroyed Team Plasma).

"Hey," says a familiar voice – Touya. "If you fall off that, you'll die, you know. It would be all ironic considering how nobody killed you during the rebellion and then you fell off a wall."

"Ha ha," I say. "Come sit."

He does.

"It's, like, not even 3:00 a.m yet," Touya points out. "Why are you awake?"

"Why are _you_ awake?" I shoot back.

"Because I have a sixth sense when it comes to you," Touya teases me. "And I knew you were gonna fall off this wall if I wasn't around to heroically rescue you."

"If you don't shut up about the wall, I will call Zekrom to blast you into pieces," I threaten him, but with a smile.

"Nah, you'd miss me too much," Touya laughs, and then pulls out a pack of berries. "Look what I brought for you! Leppa berries!"

"Excuse me?" I say, raising my eyebrows. There is no way that after all this, Touya still can't even remember my favorite kind of -

"Kidding!" he exclaims, interrupting my train of thought. I probably had my angry face on. "They're pecha berries." He hands them to me.

We sit there in silence, except for the occasional sound of me munching on my berries. Touya knows I'm not going to share, so he stays quiet, and I really can't focus when the beautiful, exotic tase of pecha berries are exploding in my mouth. But the moment I'm finished, and I look at Touya, I ask the very first thing that comes to mind.

"Are we dating?" I blurt out, because I honestly don't know and it's been bugging me. And it's not like I've ever been very subtle anyway.

"Um …" says Touya. "Yes?"

"Oh, yeah, phrase it as a question," I scoff. "Aren't you confident!"

"Shut up," Touya mutters.

"But are we?" I press. "Because Skyla and Iris AND Bianca keep giggling about it and it's annoying and Shauntal and Grimsley got together in a freaking _prison _and I strongly believe that Cheren has a thing for Bianca but he's too busy reading to notice, which is just plain stupid and therefore unlike Cheren, but the point is I feel like everyone is pairing up and then there's us and we've kissed – twice! - but I don't even know what we are anymore because I thought we were best friends but we sure as hell aren't -"

"What?" replies Touya, cutting me off with his brow furrowed worryingly. "What do you mean we aren't best friends anymore? And do me a favor and try to breathe between sentences, would you, Touko?"

"Sorry," I say, gulping for air. I always start babbling when I feel like there's an awkward silence I need to fill. Then I glower at Touya. "You didn't let me finish."

"Go ahead," he replies, looking amused.

"As I was saying," I scowl at him, "we kissed twice and I used to think we were best friends but now I don't because I think of you as _more _than a friend but I'm not really sure if you do, too, because you're a guy and they're SO FUCKING COMPLICATED!"

Instead of the heartfelt Touko-of-course-I-love-you-you're-smart-and-gorgeous-and-blah-blah-blah-more-cheesy-shit, Touya laughs.

And then he leans in. Really close. Like _really_ close. Can you picture the closeness? Okay, awesome.

But right before he closes the gap between us, he whispers, "I've _always _thought of you as more than a friend." And the we're kissing again.

Which is great because now I think we're officially dating and I can kiss him whenever I want. And Touya's a really good kisser.

Of course, I have to pull away eventually because of my need to breathe air (sometimes it sucks being a mammal). Apparently, I don't have the kissing stamina Touya does, but only because I've been too busy freeing my region from Grunts with bad haircuts, leading a rebellion, and summoning legendary Pokemon from stones.

Which, you know, at the time seemed more important than kissing, but now that I've gone out and gotten some done … what was I thinking, wasting time being the heroine of Unova?

"Hey, look," I say, because I haven't properly caught my breath yet and Touya looks like he wants to start make-out session 2.0. "The sun is rising. Isn't the dawn pretty?"

"Um, yeah," Touya says distractedly, and I feel like he's still obsessively looking at my lips.

"I like the dawn," I continue conversationally, "because it symbolizes a new day, you know?"

"Not this one," Touya replies. "This one symbolizes a lot more. It's not just a new day, it's a new era. One of peace and harmony with Pokemon instead of Grunts and unattractive people like Ghetsis … and N."

"You just had to throw that in there, didn't you?" I laugh, but I know he's right. Not about N being unattractive (the Ghetsis bit I can agree on, though) but the thing about this dawn and the peace and harmony. Before the dawn was a terrible time, full of violence and hatred and separation from Pokemon.

But 'before the dawn' is over.

Thanks to me. But I'm modest, so whatever. No big deal.

And since everything is done and Unova is safe, I can resume kissing Touya without any guilt. So I do.


End file.
